Pokémon Pirates: Monsters of the High Seas
by AlphaEph19
Summary: An otherworldly storm transports Ash and the gang to the One Piece world. Before they know it, they're facing pirates and the World Government alike. With Pokémon appearing mysteriously in the Grand Line, the newly formed Pokémon Pirates become key players in a game they don't fully understand. Answers await them in the Grand Line, but can they survive in the Great Pirate Age?
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: **I first thought of a crossover with Pokémon and One Piece a year or so ago, before I knew enough about One Piece to come up with an overarching plot. Now I am even more in awe of One Piece and Oda's genius for making every little detail in a story arc come together by the end. And I am even more convinced than before that our favorite Pokémon trainers would make a kick-ass pirate crew.

Before we start off, I just want to say one thing about how I envision Pokémon in my story: they are not immortal. When they fight, they are not going to be "knocked out" by a Fire Blast. They are going to become crispy Pokémon toast. But they _are_ magical creatures and, like the One Piece characters, can take a hell of a lot of punishment and pull through. Ash and his crew won't be superpowered, nor will they be weak. Their journey, just like that of the Strawhats, will push them to their limits and beyond, forcing them to improve in ways they might not have foreseen.

**Disclaimer: **I don't own One Piece or Pokémon. I own a shitload of Pokémon games, but sadly that's not the same thing.

**Chapter 1: Stormy Seas**

"Wow, look at the size of this room!" Ash Ketchum spread his arms wide and spun around, taking in all the splendor of the main dining room of the S.S. Anne. Chandeliers sparkled high overhead, illuminating the expensive china on the round tables. The white tablecloths were spotless, and heaped with silver platters featuring delicacies from all around the world.

"Yeah," Misty agreed, "this is fantastic! This is just the kind of place to accentuate my beauty and natural grace!" The former Gym Leader rushed off to look at her reflection in one of the shiny, silver trays.

Brock, the Gym Leader of Pewter Town, shook his head at the younger girl's antics. "Gosh, you'd think she'd try to be a little more civilized, since we're in such a high-class estab- hey there, beautiful, what's _your_ name?" He darted away from Ash to chase after a rich-looking woman with bleached white hair.

Ash wasn't at all disappointed to be abandoned by his friends; instead, he sat down at his table and began to eat his fill. The lobster was possibly the best thing he'd ever tasted in his life, though maybe he only thought that because he'd been living on trail rations for so many months. Misty joined him after a moment, chowing down with a will that would have surprised anyone who didn't know the petite, fiery little redhead.

"Arent you… mph… glad that… scrumf… Bill gave us those tickets?" Misty asked around a mouthful of lobster.

Ash chewed and swallowed before answering. "You bet I am! This is so cool. And there are so many cool Pokémon around, too! I want to look around… once I finish eating, that is!"

They continued to stuff food in their mouths as fast as humanly possible, at least until an unpleasantly familiar voice reached Ash's ears.

"Oh, Ashy-boy! I see you got invited, too! I have to say I'm surprised, they only let me in because my Gramps is so important."

Ash turned around in his chair, his eyes already burning with a competitive light.

"Gary!"

Ash's rival came over and sat down, ignoring Misty's pointed look of disdain. He flipped his unruly brown hair back with his hand, a gesture that pissed Ash off more than anything.

"How's your Pokédex coming, Ash? I've already caught forty different Pokémon. I thought I'd take a break, and blow off some steam by coming to this party. But the Captain's a good friend of Gramps, so he showed me his Cut technique! I can't wait to catch a Scyther of my own."

_Forty kinds? Damn it, how has he found so many? _

But Ash didn't dare admit that he only had six Pokémon so far. "Forty's not so hot!" Ash did his best to sneer, but he didn't think it came out as confident as he'd wished. "I've already caught tons of Pokémon too!"

"Yeah, yeah." Gary casually reached over and snagged a bit of Ash's lobster with his fork. He munched happily while Ash steamed. Then Brock returned, wearing a silly smile on his face.

"Lady Aubrey… and Gynette… and Cindy… so many beautiful girls!" He did a little twirl, and stopped when he came face-to-face with Gary. "Oh, it's you. What brings you here, Gary?"

Gary laughed raucously. "I was just telling Ashy-boy here how they couldn't wait to get me on board the S.S. Anne, thanks to Gramps. They've been giving me the star treatment all night."

Just as Ash was about to get to his feet and start a proper shouting match, the floor underneath his feet lurched violently. He slipped and fell out of his chair, landing hard on his butt. All through the room, plates and glasses slid to one side. Some fell to the floor, shattering with a series of tinkling crashes. There were a few scattered shouts of surprise.

Misty helped Ash to his feet, then asked the question they were all thinking. "What the hell was that?"

As if answering Misty's question, a calm voice issued from a speaker somewhere in the room. Everyone grew quiet, listening.

"Ladies and Gentlemen, I am sorry for this inconvenience. However, we are heading into some rough water ahead, and I must ask you all to return to your cabins until we give the all-clear. If you are only here for the evening, please find one of the crew, who will direct you to a safe location."

A confused buzz arose in the ballroom, as everyone began getting up and preparing to leave.

"Wait, what is this?" Brock scratched his head. "We just left port a few hours ago. We can't possibly be far enough out to have encountered a real storm."

"That's not important right now," Misty said. "As the only one here who's experienced a storm at sea, I propose we find a crew member like we were told and wait this out."

"Good idea," Ash said. "I just hope they have snacks!"

The three trainers left the ballroom, following a sailor who seemed to be directing the crowd.

oOoOo

Meanwhile, the Captain of the S.S. Anne was having a very bad feeling. He looked over the bow at the storm clouds swooping in, and patted his Scyther on the head, looking for reassurance.

"Twenty years on these seas, buddy, and I've never seen a storm move in this fast. This old tub could be in real trouble."

Scyther looked worried, too, which didn't do anything to make the Captain feel more reassured. His Scyther had been with him from the very beginning, ever since he was a boy growing up in Pewter city. They'd been through a lot together, and if this storm was enough to make his strongest Pokémon uneasy, he was going to be cautious.

There came a knock at the control room door. "Come in," he called absently.

The First Mate entered, his Machoke following close behind. "Captain Wallace sir, all guests are accounted for. Those without cabins are holed down in the theater. All hands are at their stations."

"That's good, Marco. I have a feeling this is going to get rough. We may be able to cope with most storms, but I don't think this storm is anything like what we've experienced before."

"Don't worry, Captain. We won't let you down!" First Mate Marco saluted together with his Machoke.

Soon the storm enveloped the S.S. Anne, and the luxury cruiser began to toss and turn violently. Everywhere sailors ran about with rope, fighting to keep their feet when the ship lurched. Waiters worked hard tying down breakable items, but the Captain knew there'd be a lot to replace once they got back to land.

The Captain saw a strange glowing through his looking glass. With growing horror, he realized that the light came from the water about a league away from the ship. In the midst of the storm, with no clue whatsoever how it had formed, was a massive whirlpool. It was the source of the glowing, as if the water were lit from below by thousands of luminescent jellyfish. The whirlpool loomed larger and larger as the ship came closer.

Captain Wallace wrestled with the tiller, but already the S.S. Anne was caught in the swirling current. His First Mate had joined him, and looked out through his own glass.

"Oh my god," Marco muttered weakly. "What… what is that?"

As the ship grew closer the luminescent glow from the whirlpool brightened, until it was almost too bright to look at. The Captain said a quick prayer, but in his heart there was no hope. The tiller wasn't responding to him at all now, and he knew there was nothing he could do to keep the ship from going to a watery grave.

"Captain, it's been a privilege." Marco had been at sea as long as the Captain, and knew they weren't getting away from that whirlpool.

"Likewise, Marco." The two friends gripped hands and waited for the end. The S.S. Anne seemed to let out a huge groan, as the steel beams deep in the bowels of the ship bent under the assault from the swirling waves. The light was so bright that the Captain and Marco had to shield their eyes. There came a faint sound, which to the Captain's ears sounded like, "Myuuuu."

Then the ship began to spin, slowly at first, then faster and faster. The Captain was sent flying, and hit his head against the wall. Everything went black.

oOoOo

Over fifty people were huddled close together in the theater. There was enough room for them to spread out, but in the face of the looming storm they naturally gravitated together. Human contact was comforting, even if it didn't change their situation.

"Is this normal?" Ash asked Misty. She shook her head helplessly.

"I don't _think _so. I've never seen a storm come up this fast, and so close to shore."

Brock put his hand on Ash's shoulder. "We'll be fine. We've come through worse than this before."

That was when they heard the steel beams groan, and felt the ship begin to turn.

"What's happening?" The cry was echoed many different people, as they noticed the movement.

"Maybe the Captain is turning around," Brock reasoned. But that hope died when the boat turned all the way around, and kept going. The rotation of the ship sped up, until it was spinning so fast they couldn't move without falling.

Ash gripped Pikachu tightly in his arms, while Brock and Misty held on to him as well.

"We're caught in a whirlpool!" Misty shouted. "The ship will sink!"

But instead of water pouring in the windows, there came a light so bright everyone was forced to close their eyes.

Then, it all stopped. The light receded, and the ship stopped moving. The sound of the wind whipping against the ship, and the rain drumming on the deck above, was gone. It was once again a quiet night at sea, as if nothing had happened. The guests stopped clinging to each other for dear life began to stand up shakily.

"What just happened?" Ash tried to get Pikachu to calm down. The lightning Pokémon was so agitated that it was emitting painful sparks from its cheeks.

Misty looked up, her face expressing her utter confusion. "The storm just… stopped."

"What was that weird light?" Brock asked. "And did either of you hear something? Not the rain; it sounded almost like a Pokémon's voice."

Ash and Misty shook their heads. "Huh," Brock shrugged, "I must have been imagining things."

The Captain's voice came over the loudspeaker.

"Thank you all for your patience. I'm going to ask that you all sit tight for a little while longer. Also, if there are any Trainers on the ship with at least one Pokémon badge, could you please come to the Bridge immediately? Ask a member of the crew to direct you there."

Ash looked at Brock and Misty with surprise. "Should we go?"

Brock nodded. "Yeah, we should. But I've got a bad feeling about this."

The trio got up, and found a sailor standing at the entrance to the auditorium. "We're trainers," Ash declared. "Can you bring us to the Bridge?"

"Right away," the sailor replied.

"Hey, wait for me!" Gary came running up behind them. "Sounds like something's up."

Ash was too curious about what the Captain wanted trainers for to fight with Gary. The four trainers followed closely behind the sailor. He led them to the topmost deck, up ten flights of stairs. The Bridge was located at the front of the ship, covered by glass in the front that shielded him from the elements while allowing him full visibility.

The sailor knocked on the door to the cabin. "Come in," came a tired-sounding voice.

Ash and Gary tried to enter at the same time, and got stuck in the doorframe. They glared at each other and kept pushing, neither willing to back down.

Brock shook his head at Misty, who rolled her eyes expressively. Ash forgot about his rival when he saw the Captain. The man was sitting on a chair, holding a pack of ice against his head. Blood trickled down his face from a nasty gash on his head.

"Are you all right?" Ash cried.

The Captain waved his hand dismissively. "I'm fine, but that's not the issue right now. We've got larger problems."

Brock stepped forward, his face assuming the responsible "Gym Leader" expression that Ash hadn't seen since their last battle in Pewter City. "What kind of problems?"

The Captain regarded Brock with calm eyes, then held out the hand that wasn't holding the ice pack. "I'm sorry, I should have had us introduce ourselves first. I'm Captain Wallace, and this is my First Mate, Marco."

Ash was impressed by both of the sailors. They had rough, callused hands and weather-worn faces that spoke of many years at sea. The Captain wore a simple sailor's cap over his close-cropped brown hair, while Marco had uncovered blond hair that reached to his shoulders. Both men looked to be in excellent condition, even though the Captain was most likely in his late thirties or early forties. The Captain also had a Scyther, which he apparently kept out of its pokéball. It had been standing over him like a bodyguard, but now it examined Pikachu with curiosity.

"I'm Brock, the Gym Leader of Pewter City. This is Ash and Misty."

Gary stepped forward as well, unwilling to let Brock introduce him. "And I'm Gary Oak."

The Captain nodded. "I'm pleased to meet you all. I was hoping for more trainers, but I guess we'll have to make do with what we have."

"What's the matter?" Ash asked. "Why do you need trainers?"

"Because as Pokémon trainers, you've traveled the world and seen a lot of strange things. You're not likely to panic when I tell you that I don't think we're in the same world that we were a moment ago."

The four trainers looked at him in shock. "What?"

"See for yourself," the Captain invited, gesturing to the glass screen that looked out over the ocean. "Look at the stars. They're completely different from what they should be. I don't recognize any of the constellations, and I've sailed all over the world. Kanto, Johto, Sinnoh, you name it. We're not in any of those places."

Ash looked into the night sky, trying to wrap his mind around the idea that it was a completely different sky. His mind couldn't quite stretch to accept that.

"I think it was the whirlpool," the Captain continued. "It might have been a portal of some kind, because it sure as hell didn't do what a normal whirlpool does."

Marco crossed himself fervently. "For which I'm damn grateful, Captain."

"You've got that right. Anyway, when I realized this I decided to call the trainers here. I'm not sure how to proceed. I'm treading, if you'll pardon the nautical pun, in unfamiliar waters here. We could be in danger, and if that's so then you four, along with myself and the crew, are our best hope of getting home safely."

"We'll help you, Captain," Brock assured him. He cracked a smile. "After all, we're all in the same boat." Misty groaned, and smacked him in the back of the head.

"Enough of the puns, ok guys?"

"Hey," Ash called, still looking out at the ocean through the glass. "Why don't we ask those guys where we are?"

"Which guys?" The Captain took out his looking glass, and stood next to Ash. The trainer pointed into the distance, where a light was barely visible. "It's a ship!"

Gary, Brock, Misty, and Marco hurried over to take a look. The Captain lowered his instrument, and turned to the trainers with a grave expression. "We can ask them, but I don't think they'll be very helpful. Because judging by the skull and crossbones on the sail, that's a pirate ship. And it's heading straight for us."

First Mate Marco bolted to a control panel, where his hand hovered over a black switch. "Zeta Protocol, sir?"

The Captain nodded, his weather-lined face very grave. "I think so. Best not take any chances."

Ash scratched his head. "What's Zeta Protocol?"

At the control panel, Marco vented his feelings with an extremely imaginative oath. "It's our defense strategy in case the ship is ever attacked. The sailors with Fighting-type Pokémon guard the passengers, while the ones with Water-types form a perimeter around the top deck to repel boarders. Not that it'll do much good… none of our sailors have ever seen combat, and they always laughed at me when I drilled them."

"No one will be laughing now," replied Captain Wallace. Ash thought he sounded too calm for a man about to face a pirate attack. "Turn on the intercom please, Marco. I have to address the guests and crew. Everyone, if you could remain quiet for a moment, I'd greatly appreciate it."

Marco flipped the switch that connected the Bridge to the speakers located all throughout the S.S. Anne, and gestured for the Captain to speak.

"Attention, please. This is the Captain speaking. All crew members, be aware that Zeta Protocol is in effect. I repeat, Zeta Protocol is in effect. This is not a drill. As for our guests, I must ask you to gather in the Gallery on Deck Two. Members of the crew will direct you there and look after you until I determine it is safe for you to return to your cabins. Thank you for your cooperation."

As the Captain finished his speech, Ash and Gary fought over the looking glass. The pirate ship was growing steadily closer, and it was just possible to make out the black flag flying from the mast. There was a skull-and-crossbones image, but the skull wasn't human. It looked more like…

"Is that a cat?" Ash asked, pushing Gary's face aside with his right hand as he peered through the spyglass.

Gary ducked under and rammed him aside with his shoulder. He looked through the glass and snorted satisfaction. "Yup, that's a cat all right. Weird choice for a pirate flag, don't you think?"

Misty came over and solved the spyglass quarrel by knocking Ash's and Gary's heads together. "Maybe they use cat-like Pokémon," she suggested.

"If there _are_ Pokémon in this world," said Captain Wallace. "We can't assume anything."

"With respect, Captain," Brock spoke up, "where should we go to help with the defense?"

From on top of Ash's head, Pikachu chittered. It was eager to join the fight.

"A man of action," said the Captain, smiling. "I like that. Well, since it's sailing straight for us, our best bet is to position ourselves out on the bow. Think any of your Pokémon can intercept cannonballs?"

Ash swallowed. Pirates were kind of exciting in the abstract, but the sudden image of cannonballs ripping into the S.S. Anne, shredding steel bulkheads like tinfoil, was definitely less pleasant. "I guess we'll find out!" he declared, unwilling to show any fear in front of his rival, Gary. "Lead the way, Captain Wallace!"

The Captain and his First Mate led the four trainers out of the Bridge and up a cramped set of stairs that opened onto the bow area of the topmost deck. They hurried to the railing. Now there was no need for the spyglass, because the ship's Jolly Roger was easily visible in the distance.

"Captain!" Dozens of raised voices captured the Trainers' attention, and they turned to see many members of the crew stationed along the railing as far as they could see. Some stood next to Water Pokémon, mostly Poliwags, and a Squirtle or two.

"What's going on?" the nearest sailor called out. "Are we really under attack?"

"Steady on, men!" First Mate Marco bellowed. "We've trained for this, and we have a Gym Leader and elite trainers beside us. Today we fight! We fight for our homes and our families!"

The blond First Mate struck a valiant pose, mirrored by his muscular Machoke.

"Um… what?" Ash looked at his friends, but they were as confused as he was.

"Don't mind Marco," whispered the Captain. "He's a member of the Vermilion Coast Guard, but he never saw any military action. He's just a little carried away by the excitement."

"Excitement?!" Misty demanded, outraged. "This isn't a _movie_, for heaven's sake!"

The Captain raised his voice, which carried clear to the other end of the massive cruise ship. "Stay calm, everyone. Do your best to protect the ship, and we'll all come out of this just fine."

"Real convincing, Cap'n," said Gary snidely. "I can almost believe you." He tossed a Pokéball into the air, out of which appeared a massive Fearow with a curved, wicked beak. "No matter what happens, though, I'm taking a few down with me. What do you say, Ashy boy?"

Ash released his own Pidgeotto and Butterfree, and reached up to pat Pikachu reassuringly on the head. "Sounds about right, Gary."

A dull boom echoed from across the water, followed by several more. Small black dots appeared in the air, growing larger as they arced toward the S.S. Anne, until everyone could recognize them as cannonballs.

"Aaaaah!" a sailor cried. "They're firing at us!"

"Fearow!" Gary yelled. "Use Gust!"

Ash gestured to his own Pokémon. "You too, Pidgeotto, Butterfree! Keep those cannonballs from hitting us!"

The three Pokémon formed a triangle formation in midair, with the Bird Pokémon side-by-side and Ash's Butterfree underneath them. As one, they flapped their wings and created powerful currents of wind. The combined force of the Gust attacks created a veritable maelstrom that flung all six cannonballs backward. They detonated harmlessly in midair, the sheer volume of the explosion making many of the defenders start.

The sailors gave a mighty cheer, but the pirates were just getting started. Another volley of cannonfire met their ears, and once again the Flying Pokémon had to summon a windstorm of combined Gusts.

"We can't keep this up forever," Gary told Ash. "Our Pokémon will tire out before those pirates run out of ammunition."

"But what else can we do?" Ash asked.

Captain Wallace answered. "We have to take the fight to them. Their galley is much faster and more maneuverable than the S.S. Anne – she's a cruise ship, after all. If we continue to fight like this, they can cripple us with cannonballs and loot us while we're sinking. We need to send a crack squad to beat them on their own deck."

Ash and Gary spoke at the same time. "I'm in!" They each had a Bird-type Pokémon that could fly them over.

"Don't forget me!" Misty said, looking scared but determined. "My Water Pokémon can get me there almost as fast as your birds, and you'll need all the help you can get."

"What about me?" Brock asked. "I don't have a Water Pokémon, and my Zubat is too small to carry me."

"You stay here with me and the Captain," said First Mate Marco. "Help Machoke and Scyther keep those cannonballs away from the ship. We may have to turn aside a few volleys before your friends can neutralize their cannons."

"Everyone fine with this?" said Captain Wallace. They all nodded, though fear was plain on all their faces, even Gary's. This was not like the adventures they had back in Kanto. Even Team Rocket had only ever wanted to steal Pikachu, not murder them all in cold blood. But this was no time for thinking – it was action that was needed. The Captain surveyed them with appraisal, then nodded. "All right… time to go. Buy us some time, Scyther! Use Cut on the cannonballs!"

Scyther shot into the air, wings buzzing furiously, ready for the next volley.

Gary flung himself onto his Fearow, holding on to the bird's long neck. "Last one there's a rotten egg, Ashy boy!" He took off into the sky.

"No fair!" Ash yelled. "You got a head start!" He leapt onto Pidgeotto, grabbing two thick handfuls of neck feathers. "Sorry, buddy," he whispered. "Maybe we can see about a saddle if this kind of thing becomes a habit."

Pidgeotto squawked unhappily, then shot off after Fearow. Butterfree followed, flying as fast as the Insect Pokémon could. Far below, Misty dove into the ocean, and soon resurfaced holding on to her Starmie. They hovered over the waves and raced to the pirate ship.

Left on the bow, Brock and Marco traded determined looks. They might not be able to fight with their friends on the enemy ship, but they would be damned before a single cannonball touched the S.S. Anne. "Come on out, Onix!"

The giant rock snake appeared on the deck, just in time to swing its tail and hit a few cannonballs out of the air. The backlash of the explosions caught Onix's tail and caused Brock's Pokémon to roar with anger. Scyther sliced up three more, and Machoke ripped off a piece of the S.S. Anne's railing and threw it like a javelin, destroying the last cannonball before it could reach the ship.

"Hang in there, Onix!" Brock cried. His Onix was strong, but a few point-blank explosions would have disastrous consequences.

Meanwhile, Marco saw something very strange floating over the waves. It looked like two people, and – was that a Meowth? They held on to each other in a death grip, awkwardly perched on a Koffing levitating gamely towards the pirate ship.

"What the hell are you doing?" Marco bellowed. "Get back to the ship!"

"Who-" Brock peered over the railing, and caught his breath when he recognized those white uniforms. "Team Rocket! What are _you_ doing here?"

James gave him a shaky thumbs up, then scrambled to get a firmer grip on Koffing's bumpy hide. "_We're_ the only ones allowed to hijack the S.S. Anne!" cried the man who had caused nothing but trouble for Ash and his friends since the beginning of their journey. "Don't worry, we'll teach those pirates a lesson!"

Marco blinked, watching the odd trio riding Koffing like an unwieldy air balloon. "Are they strong?" he asked doubtfully.

Brock shrugged. "They have their moments. And they're more resilient than cockroaches. Who knows, maybe they'll actually be of some help… if they get there before the battle ends, that is."

But the former Gym Leader and the first mate of the S.S. Anne had no more time to ponder the strange spectacle of Team Rocket, because the next flight of cannonballs was fast approaching.

"Onix!"

"Machoke! You're up!"

oOoOo

Ash had one very bad moment up in the air, when Pidgeotto corkscrewed to avoid a cannon that the pirates had aimed at them. His legs lifted into the sky, only his tenuous grip on Pidgeotto keeping him from falling hundreds of feet to the ocean below.

_It's a good thing I'm not afraid of heights, _he thought, as Pidgeotto completed a barrel roll and swung around to zero in on the pirate ship. Gary's Fearow appeared next to him.

"What's the play, Ashy boy? Think your little mouse can even the odds a bit?"

"Hell yes! Pikachu!" Ash called out, making sure his voice carried over the wind shrieking past his face and ruffling his hair. His most trusted Pokémon huddled inside his jacket, only its ears twitching up into the open air. "We're going to dive! See those cannons? Take them out with a Thunderbolt!"

The cannons in question protruded from holes located about halfway up the ship. They were angled upward, the better to send cannonballs several hundred yards away towards the S.S. Anne.

Meanwhile, the deck swarmed with pirates who, from this high up, looked like little insects. They did, however, carry rifles, and Ash was not all that excited about diving into a hail of gunfire.

Maybe he could do something about that. "Butterfree!" he yelled, glad that his insect Pokémon was following close behind Pidgeotto. "Do a sweep over the ship, and nail them with Paralyze Powder!"

Butterfree warbled a response, and shot toward the ship. Ash cheered when he saw the golden powder beginning to fall, but his grip on Pidgeotto tightened when he heard the violent _cracks _of pistols and rifles. Still the powder descended, and the chorus of painful cries was music to his ears.

Then, horribly, Butterfree seemed to freeze in midair.

"It's been hit!" Gary yelled, while Butterfree began to flap only one set of wings. It looked like a musket ball had torn through the pearly membrane of one of Butterfree's wings. It spiraled out of control, slowly starting to lose altitude.

"No!" Ash yelled, urging Pidgeotto into a dive. He held Butterfree's Pokéball, ready to recall his injured Pokémon when he was close enough. "Get ready, Pikachu! After we jump, hit those cannons with a Thunderbolt!"

They dove lower, like bullets from a gun, until they were barely higher than the mast of the pirate ship. Ash recalled Butterfree into its Pokéball and urged Pidgeotto to level out.

_I must be crazy. Am I really going to do this?!_

Ignoring his common sense, which was screaming like a little girl, Ash Ketchum pushed off from Pidgeotto's back, spreading both arms and legs and feeling, for a moment, like he could fly. Pikachu had jumped as well, getting some space from Ash so that he wouldn't be fried when the electric Pokémon used Thunderbolt.

Ash turned in the air, watching as a bolt of lightning erupted from Pikachu, aimed straight for the cannons jutting out of the ship's belly. He didn't need to worry about Pikachu missing – the metal of those cannons was better than a lightning rod. The air filled with white light and the screams of injured men.

_So much for the cannons… and probably a good deal of the ship, too._

Ash yelled with mingled rage and exhilaration as he hit the wooden deck, skidding and tumbling for a full ten yards before slamming into the mast. He thought he heard Pidgeotto warble apologetically before he recalled it to its Pokéball – he was very proud of himself for not dropping it when he smacked into the mast.

Pikachu landed on the deck just as Gary leapt off of his Fearow. From his painful, crumpled position against the mast, Ash had a perfect view when Gary hit the deck and rolled into a textbook somersault, coming to his feet like a stuntman in an action movie.

He smiled down at Ash. "Rough landing, Ashy boy?"

"Shut up," Ash muttered, climbing shakily to his feet. He quickly summoned Squirtle, Bulbasaur, and Charmander, while Gary earned Ash's envy by producing a Nidorino and a Nidorina. They flanked him like guard dogs, if guard dogs had deadly horns capable of goring a man and pumping him full of poison.

Pikachu jumped atop Ash's head, its cheeks sparking.

Now that he could stand up, Ash surveyed the damage. Pikachu's thunderbolt had gouged a huge chunk out of the side of the ship, and half of the pirates' cannons were sinking beneath the waves. On the deck, Gary and Ash were surrounded by over a hundred pirates. They were a band of scruffy, imposing men wielding a ragtag assortment of weapons ranging from rusty cutlasses to rifles.

Ash was please to see that over two dozen of the pirates were standing stock-still in uncomfortable positions, their faces contorted in agony.

_Good work with that Paralyze Powder, Butterfree! I only hope you're ok…_

For a moment the pirates only stared at the two intruders, who had flown through the sky on winged monsters and taken out half of their cannons in one hit. Ash and Gary stared back.

"Do you know?" Gary whispered to Ash. "These pirates all seem to be wearing cat ears. What the hell's _that_ about?"

"I don't know," Ash said, though Gary was right. Some of the pirates had even styled their hair into points exactly like cat ears, and those without enough hair wore cat headbands. "But I don't think now's the time to ask, Gary."

"Don't be afraid, men!" one of the pirates yelled, brandishing his rifle. "Captain Jango's on our side! Kill them and their pet monsters!"

"Uh, Gary," Ash said, surveying all six Pokémon currently arrayed in a loose circle around them. "Can any of our Pokémon stop bullets?"

Gary's face turned slightly gray. "Uh… no, Ashy boy, I don't believe they can."

"_Get 'em!_"

A feminine voice soared over the gruff command.

"_Light Screen!_"

Ash and Gary yelled reflexively as over fifty firearms discharged with a deafening series of _cracks_. But the bullets hit a translucent wall of light that sprang up around them. A purple blur appeared in front of them, spinning rapidly and then resolving into the form of a majestic purple starfish with a glimmering gem in the center of its body.

"Starmie!" Ash cried out, ecstatic.

"Did you boys miss me?"

Gary, Ash, and all of the pirates turned to the wrecked side of the boat, where a beautiful sight met their eyes. A jet of water plumed into the air, allowing Misty to hover just above the railing. With her legs half-hidden by the water, she looked like a mermaid, or some beautiful maiden of the sea. The water surged higher, and Misty landed on the deck with a flourish and a bow. Her Staryu followed a second later.

"Guns are dangerous," she announced in a disapproving tone. "You might shoot someone by mistake. Staryu, Starmie – _Water Gun!_"

Her faithful Pokémon swept each side of the deck with concentrated jets of water, knocking the pirates off their feet and causing most of them to drop their blades and firearms.

Ash cheered, while Gary, who wouldn't stoop to anything so undignified, crossed his arms and adopted a smug expression. "Stay down!" Misty called out.

One of the pirates, still clutching a pistol, tried to regain his feet.

"_Double-Edge!_" Misty's Starmie once more flew through the air, rotating so quickly it was nothing but a purple blur. It swept past the pirate, flashing right by his head, swooped up and around like a boomerang, and came to rest next to Misty.

For a moment time stood still, as everyone stared at the pirate, who was apparently unharmed. Then his head fell from his shoulders, landing on the deck with an audible _thunk_. His body crumpled and neighboring pirates scrambled away from the corpse. Ash saw Misty's face turn white as bone, but when she spoke, her voice was steady.

"I told you to stay _down!_" she cried.

Horrified cries rose from the pirates, until a louder voice cut through. "Enough! We surrender!"

From the terrified, soaking group of pirates emerged perhaps the oddest person Ash had ever seen. He wore red, heart-shaped glasses, and had a red-and-black striped goatee. A wide-brimmed blue hat covered straggly, shoulder-length gray hair, and he wore a blue cape that brushed the deck as he walked.

"No sudden movements!" Misty called out, her Staryu and Starmie bristling next to her.

"Of course not," said the strange man, holding his hands out. In one hand he held a strange pendant, some kind of edged pendulum attached to a string. But it wasn't a sword or a rifle, so Ash didn't think it could be a weapon.

"I'm Captain Jango of the Black Cat Pirates," he said. "We apologize for targeting your vessel. We're wanted men, you understand. We only wanted provisions."

"You really surrender?" Misty demanded. "Just like that?"

The Captain smiled widely. "Just like that. Easy as one, two, three… _Jango!_"

Ash, Misty, Gary, and all of their assembled Pokémon instantly fell asleep. Once they were convinced it was safe, the Black Cat pirates picked themselves up, laughing shakily and with relief.

"That's our Captain Jango," many said, slapping each other on the back.

"Always gets the job done."

"Haha, and he hypnotized himself, too! What a guy."

This was true – the hypnotist Captain had indeed managed to put himself to sleep, and was snoring every bit as lustily as the Trainers and their Pokémon. The pirates, who knew their Captain well, had closed their eyes in time to avoid the technique.

Two pirates, bigger than the rest and dressed almost as distinctively as Captain Jango, stepped forward. One was thin with green hair, and the other was almost as wide as he was tall, with a strange black patch over one side of his face, apparently intended to make him look cat-like. They both wore gloves with metal spikes protruding from the fingers, like claws.

"Let the Captain rest," said the thin one. "We'll finish the job."

The pirates mustered another hearty cheer. "Hurray for the Meowban Brothers! Hurray for Captain Jango! Hurray for the Black Cat Pirates!"

The Meowban Brothers edged forward with deadly intent, predators moving in on their prey. They stopped, however, when unfamiliar voices reached their ears.

"Prepare for trouble..."

"...and make it double."

"To protect the world from devastation..."

"...to unite all peoples within our nation."

"To denounce the evils of truth and love..."

"...to extend our reach to the stars above."

"Jessie..."

"...James."

"Team Rocket blast off at the speed of light..."

"...surrender now or prepare to fight!"

"Meeeeowth, that's right!"

Perched on the railing, declaiming in carrying tones, were Jesse and James, with Koffing, Ekans, and Meowth on the deck in front of them. Jesse pointed her lacquered fingernail at the Meowban Brothers.

"Step away from the puny children and their snoozing Pokémon," she called out, "and nobody needs to get hurt."

The green-haired brother sneered. "Oh yeah? How do you propose to stop us?"

Having concocted a hasty plan before their grand entrance, Jesse and James knew exactly what to do.

"Koffing, use Smokescreen!" The poison-cloud Pokémon complied, shrouding most of the deck in thick, black smoke, avoiding Ash and his friends. Only the Meowban brothers and Jango avoided the attack, since they were closest to the sleeping Trainers.

"Nobody shoot!" yelled the Meowban Brothers. "You'll just hit each other!"

James prowled the border of the smoke, while Koffing kept up its steady use of Smokescreen to make sure it wouldn't disperse.

Meanwhile, Meowth used Agility to put himself between the brothers and the defenseless Trainers. Ekans was just a little slower, and soon coiled up next to Meowth, baring its fangs and hissing with a vengeance. "We're not normally the hero type," Meowth said. "But nobody's going to hurt our Pikachu! We haven't gone to so much trouble to let someone _else_ steal it."

The Meowban Brothers stared at Meowth in amazement. "It talks!"

Meowth sneered at them as it flexed its claws. "That's not all I can do."

It used Agility to appear behind the fat brother, and swiped at his hamstrings with outstretched claws. Blood welled from the brother's chubby legs, though the cuts weren't very deep. Meowth avoided a retaliatory swipe from the green-haired brother, and used Agility again to stop next to Ekans.

"Go!" Meowth waved to Jesse. "We'll hold them off. Wake up the sleeping beauties!"

"My pleasure," Jesse said. As Meowth and Ekans sprang at the Meowban Brothers, she walked up next to Misty. She stretched out her right arm, wound up like a baseball pitcher, and slapped Misty full in the face. "Wake up, cow! ...Oh, that was _fun!_"

Misty's eyes snapped open. She brought her hand to her face, looking confused. "Wha- Team Rocket?!"

"No time for explanations, girlie," Jesse said. "Let's wake up your friends and Pokémon before more pirates get our of our smokescreen."

Misty took in the situation a second later when she saw Meowth and Ekans dueling the Meowban Brothers. Her confusion disappeared, replaced by resolve. She nodded, and accepted Jesse's hand to jump to her feet. "Right."

They worked their way around the circle of sleeping Trainers and Pokémon, shaking each one awake. They were just in time, too, because Meowth and Ekans were not faring very well against the Meowban Brothers.

Meowth's Agility was effective, but his opponents were much faster than any humans it had seen before, and they protected each other well. One good hit from those claw-like gloves would be enough to put either of the small Pokémon out of the fight for good, so Meowth had to be careful when closing in for a Scratch attack.

Ekans tried to help by spitting Acid at its opponents, but that became just another thing Meowth had to dodge when using Agility.

Just when Ash and Gary were sitting up, rubbing bleary eyes, the tide of the fight changed for the worse. Ekans, summoning its courage, propelled itself through the air at the chubbier brother, wrapped itself around his face and used Constrict. For a second it looked like it might be enough to finish him off, but then he clawed at the snake around his face, and Ekans was slashed by his gloves.

Ekans went flying, and Meowth lost a step when it heard Ekans' cry of pain. The elder Meowban Brother raked Meowth across the back, drawing deep grooves, before the agile cat Pokémon could escape.

Meowth stood over Ekans' limp form, breathing heavily as its blood dripped onto the deck. "I'm not done yet!" it declared.

"That's enough, Meowth!" cried James, abandoning the Smokescreen to stand next to Meowth. "I'll take it from here, with the new Pokémon that I bought on the S.S. Anne. It was really expensive, so it _must_ be strong! Go, Magikarp!"

Now fully awake, Ash was treated to the surreal sight of a Magikarp flopping around uselessly on the wooden deck in front of two strange men dressed like cats.

_Is it possible I'm still dreaming? No... not even my subconscious is this weird..._

Magikarp flopped some more, and James' face filled with despair. "Oh, no… I've been swindled! I want my money back, you stupid fish!"

He kicked the Magikarp with all his might, and it went flying over the handrail and out of sight.

"No!" Misty's voice rang out, and before Ash could stop her the former Gym Leader dove overboard after the Magikarp.

Ash and Gary jumped up and raced to the railing. "I'm ok!" Misty called up to them, floating in the ocean. "I caught the poor dear."

Sure enough, Magikarp was nestled in her arms, and Misty's Goldeen swam next to them, keeping the Trainer afloat. "There, there," Misty crooned, stroking Magikarp's head. "Everything's going to be just fine. I won't ever abandon you – that's a promise." Magikarp gave a happy sort of flop.

A sudden cackle made Ash turn his head – in his worry over Misty, he'd forgotten about the cat-guys. The one with green hair was laughing like a maniac. "I don't think you'll be able to keep your promise, little girl," he crowed. "You're both going to be food for that Sea King!"

He pointed at a spot in the ocean a hundred yards away from Misty, where a giant, bright-orange creature was emerging from the waves. It looked like a cross between a shark and a serpent, and it was swimming towards Misty with murder in its eyes.

"What the hell is _that?_" Jesse exclaimed, clinging to James in fright. "It's _huge!_"

"That's just a baby Sea King," said the pirate, "but it'll eat your friend, sure enough."

_It's not like any Seaking _I _ever saw, _Ash thought._  
_

Luckily, it was not Misty's fate to be eaten that day. The Magikarp she had caught began writhing in her arms, and then it began to glow. Goldeen tugged Misty backwards as Magikarp was enveloped by a white light that hurt Ash's eyes.

"It's evolving!" Gary shouted exultantly, the first to catch on.

When the light faded, Misty stood on the head of a very large, very angry Gyarados, its serpentine body stretching sixty feet out of the water. They towered over the approaching shark-snake creature, and when Gyarados let out a roar that shook the very boards under Ash's feet, the creature turned tail and fled.

Misty cheered, and the Gyarados let out a kind of pleased rumble. Then it turned to face the pirate ship, where Koffing's Smokescreen was just now dissipating. The poor pirates, many of whom had already been paralyzed, nailed with high-pressure water attacks, and then choked by bitter smoke, now looked up to see a creature from nightmare looming over them.

"Gyarados, use Leer!" Misty commanded, looking for all the world like an Amazon queen on Gyarados' head.

Even though the attack wasn't directed at Ash or his allies, he still felt the effect of it. It was like a ball of writhing, soul-devouring fear had been shoved down his throat, and he had to fight to stay standing. The majority of the pirates promptly passed out, and even the Meowban Brothers fell to their knees, unable to stand on their shaking legs. "Is that... Haki?!" one of them whispered brokenly.

"Good job, Gyarados," Misty crooned, patting the monstrous serpent on the head. Ash could have sworn it smiled.

After Gyarados had deposited Misty back on the deck of the pirate ship, she turned to James with a sickly-sweet smile. "I forgive you for treating a Pokémon with such cruelty," she said, "as long as you give me Gyarados' Pokéball. Then we can put this whole mess behind us."

"S- su- sure thing," James stammered, trying not to look at the Gyarados he'd abandoned as he handed Misty the Pokéball.

Ash's Pokémon joined Gary's, and they formed a ring around Captain Jango and the Meowban Brothers. None of them besides Pikachu had even launched an attack yet, so they practically quivered with eagerness. Charmander's flame was roaring merrily, and poison dripped from the end of Nidorino's horn. The brothers were _very_ careful not to make any sudden moves.

"I think we've got this pretty much wrapped up," Gary said. "How about I go report to Captain Wallace, so we can figure out what to do with these fools?"

"Sounds good to me," Ash replied. He winked at Misty. "Congratulations on the new Pokémon, Misty!"

Misty recalled her newly evolved Gyarados to its Pokéball and smiled back at Ash. "It's amazing what a little kindness can do."

oOoOo

Later that evening, when the sun was just beginning to set, the victorious Trainers gathered in the Bridge for a war council.

"We won this time," said Captain Wallace, "and with no casualties. It could have been far worse. So… what's next?"

"First order of business," said Misty, pointing an accusing finger at James and Jesse. The Rocket members shrank back ever so slightly, the memory of Misty's Gyarados still fresh in their minds. "What do we do with these scum?"

"Hey!" protested Meowth. "We saved your lives!"

"They have a point," said Gary thoughtfully, sounding very different from his usual snide self. "We were goners when that weird Captain hypnotized us."

"That doesn't mean we can trust them!" Ash pointed out. "They'll still try to steal our Pokémon."

"It would make no sense for them to steal anything right now," Brock pointed out logically. "They couldn't deliver them to their superiors as long as they're stuck with us in this world."

Jesse's eyes bugged out. "In… _this_… world? Does that mean what I think it means?"

"Oh yeah," Ash sighed. "You guys missed that conversation. Apparently we're in a different world, or dimension, or something. Hey," he said, brightening, "at least those pirates spoke the same language as us! That's a good thing."

"We're in a _different world_, you brat! _W__hy are you so damn relaxed?_" James was well on his way to hyperventilating.

"Everybody, SHUT UP!" Captain Wallace's bullhorn voice cut in. "We have more important things to worry about than your squabbling." He turned to the Team Rocket members. "Mr. James, Ms. Jesse, we sincerely thank you for your efforts against the Black Cat Pirates. We might have lost lives, and instead we're all safe with the added bonus of a stockpile of weapons confiscated from the pirates. Your act of bravery made that possible, and I thank you."

Jesse and James sat straighter in their seats at the compliment. Captain Wallace was the kind of man who didn't bestow praise lightly, and it made the criminals proud in spite of themselves. Meowth muttered sulkily, "What am I, chopped liver?" The injured Meowth was swathed in bandages, souvenirs of its fight against the Meowban Brothers.

"However," the Captain continued, ignoring Meowth, "I refuse to go any further on this journey with comrades I cannot trust. I don't care what you were in our home world – Team Rocket thugs, purple-spotted Venosaurs, or the devil himself, it makes no difference to me. You're skilled Trainers, it seems like, and if we're going to make it home alive, we'll need to rely on you. I will trust you unconditionally, if you give your word not to betray us."

"We promise!" James replied instantly, nodding his head up and down. "We want to get back just as much as you do! Let's be allies."

"So be it. If you try to steal any Pokémon, disobey an order, or commit any other crime, I will see you hanged. Too much is at stake to tolerate mutiny."

All three Rocket members gulped, then saluted. "Sir, yes sir!"

"Very well, then." Captain Wallace looked at all the assembled Trainers and nodded with firm resolve. "Enough of that. Where do we go from here?"

"The most important thing is to find land," put in Marco. "If there are pirates, maybe there's a government that can help us. We need to lay in more provisions and start gathering information."

"What happens if we meet more pirates first?" Gary asked. "The next group might be larger, or more skilled, or even have different powers. That Captain had a strange ability, like a Hypno. Even if there are no Pokémon in this world, that doesn't mean we automatically have an advantage."

"We can get stronger," said Ash. "We can train our Pokémon while we're at sea."

"My thoughts exactly," Captain Wallace agreed. "I'll have my men clear the banquet hall of all tables and chairs – it's big enough for most of your Pokémon, with the exception of Onix and Gyarados. And I'll arm the sailors with the blades and guns we took from those pirates." He patted the saber in the scabbard at his hip. "I may not be a blademaster, but I can teach them not to stab themselves in the foot. We can convert the theater into a shooting range, too."

Marco cracked his knuckles, looking as if he couldn't wait to get his hands on a rifle. "Good idea, Cap'n. Until we know where we are, we have to proceed as if we're at war, behind enemy lines. Our Pokémon are the only defense we have right now."

"I'll pick a direction and boost our speed," said Captain Wallace. "We have enough food stored to last a month, and hopefully we'll find land well before then."

"And even if we do run into more pirate crews," said Misty, "we should be able to handle ourselves. Except for that hypnotist Captain and the freaky cat brothers, they went down real easy."

This was the moment Ash had been waiting for ever since he'd learned that the pirate crew they'd defeated called themselves the Black Cat Pirates.

"Yeah," he exclaimed, "we certainly gave them _pause!_"

…Nothing. They were ignoring him. Ash tried again. "We gave them pause… come on, guys, like cat paws? Pause? Paws? 'Cause they were the Black Cat Pirates? Damn it, it's just as good as Brock's pun earlier!"

Of the group, only Misty could bear to look Ash in the face – the rest looked off into the distance. She patted him reassuringly on one shoulder. "It's ok, Ash. You deserve points for trying."

Ash sighed in defeat. "I hate you guys."

**End of Chapter 1**

**A/N: **So what'd you think? Ash and the gang will continue to run into familiar faces, starting next chapter with a Marine Captain who can chop down trees with his hand. You get three guesses who it is… and the first two don't count :)

Also, I welcome any and all theories about why the Pokémon trainers have been transported to the One Piece world, although I haven't really given you many hints yet. Rest assured, there is a method hidden in my madness – a plot will emerge, and as early as next chapter.

Finally, I have the majority of the story line planned out, from beginning to end. Right now, while the S.S. Anne searches for land, Monkey D. Luffy is floating in a barrel somewhere in the East Blue. The story will end with the Whitebeard War, and if you don't think Ash and his crew will be involved in a big way, well... you're wrong. See you next time!


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: **I'm back with Chapter 2! For anyone following my other stories, I'm sorry about hopping between so many lately. I tried to do NaNoWriMo, and the stress of writing just one story broke me. Now I'm freely following my inspiration, which will probably flit back and forth between this story, Rise of the Uchiha, Reign of the Serpent, and The Professor's Journey during the foreseeable future.

Hope you're enjoying the holiday season! I'm posting this, then off to watch the next episode of the Whitebeard War arc. It's so good! I got to the main battle and then the wifi in my apartment gave out, so now I have to watch episodes one or two at a time after a long walk to the public library. Maybe Santa will give me an Internet connection for Christmas…

**Edit 11/2013: **Many thanks to an alert reviewer, who kindly reminded me that Nidorino and Nidorina don't acquire a secondary Ground type until they evolve. That's been fixed - next time I'll pay closer attention to the Pokédex :)

**Disclaimer: **I don't own Pokémon or One Piece

**Chapter 2: Captain Ketchum – A Legend is Born!**

Life aboard the S.S. Anne soon fell into a steady rhythm, as regular as the tides. The crew of the S.S. Anne ate breakfast together in the Mess Hall along with Ash and his fellow Trainers, while the guests stayed mostly in their rooms. Some of the rich, snobby folk were having a tough time adjusting to the fact that they were lost at sea, and the Captain had no patience for hysterics. If they weren't prepared to help repair the S.S. Anne, they could stay the hell out of the way of the people who were.

After breakfast, the Trainers took their Pokémon to the newly outfitted Banquet Hall, where they pushed themselves to get better. Several rivalries began to develop among the Pokémon, perhaps the strongest of which existed between Ash's Pikachu, Gary's Eevee, and, surprisingly enough, Meowth. The three Pokémon fought each other to increase their speed and endurance, improving their Agility attacks until their battles were little more than streaks of gray, yellow, and white.

Ash's Charmander liked to practice Ember against Brock's Geodude, which tried to withstand the flames by using Harden. As the Captain said, both of those Pokémon would be invaluable against pirates, especially once they evolved. Nothing finished off a wooden ship faster than fire, and if Geodude practiced enough, his Harden would soon be able to shrug off bullets.

Starmie practiced its Light Screen, which had already proved effective against rifle fire. No matter how strong their Pokémon were, it wouldn't matter if the trainers were dropped by stray bullets. So far, Starmie and Onix were the only Pokémon capable of stopping bullets directly, which meant they would be of the utmost importance in future battles.

Sometimes the sailors would go up to the top deck and watch Pidgeotto and Fearow square off in aerial duels that featured miniature whirlwinds and vicious, razor-edged air currents. They seemed fairly evenly matched – Fearow was stronger and faster in a straight dive, but Pidgeotto was more maneuverable.

After morning training they had lunch, and after that Brock went to the Sick Bay that he was outfitting together with the ship's "doctor," an old sailor who'd learned enough about medicine to treat any rich guests who caught a cold while on vacation. Needless to say, Brock took charge, and soon the space was outfitted to receive up to twenty patients at a time, and had a stockpile of human and Pokémon medicine.

There were already two permanent residents in the Sick Bay – Jesse's Ekans, which was still recovering after getting slashed by the Meowban Brothers, and Ash's Butterfree, which had a torn wing courtesy of a pirate's bullet. Meowth had been injured too, but the smallest Rocket member refused to be hospitalized, saying that it would recover faster if it was moving around.

Jesse and James, for their part, began working with the sailors who were practicing with rifles. It seemed the Rocket members had a knack for firearms, which made Ash, at least, ever so slightly nervous.

While Brock was puttering around in the Sick Bay every afternoon, Misty took to the seas to scout ahead of the S.S. Anne. She rode on Gyarados' head, and let her other three Pokémon out to act as guards. Every day she fought off the small-to-medium-size sea monsters that seemed to roam these waters, her Gyarados glad to test its newfound strength, and her other Pokémon determined to improve as well.

Ash and Brock were very worried about Misty's scouting trips, but she refused to be dissuaded. "I've a reputation to uphold," she said. "If I can't maintain superiority in the water, what good am I? Besides, these monsters aren't that bad. Gyarados just eats the small ones, and the bigger ones are slow. Staryu and Starmie target their eyes with Double-Edge, and then they're dead in the water."

She got a brittle look in her eyes when she said the word "dead," and Ash wondered if Misty was perhaps pushing herself to distract herself from the memory of the pirate her Starmie had killed. She wasn't asking for any sympathy, and if what had happened affected her, she was determined to deal with it herself.

The sea scouting was certainly good training for her Pokémon, a fact Ash realized when Misty came back one day with a Seaking instead of a Goldeen.

"About time, too," Misty laughed. "Poor Goldeen was getting upset that it couldn't keep up with the others. Now there's only Staryu left unevolved." Ash pouted at that. He had a Butterfree and a Pidgeotto, but none of his other Pokémon had evolved yet. Still, he had faith in them. They had never let him down, evolved or not.

Day gave way to night and became day again, and still there was no sign of land. Feeding around three hundred people was cutting into even the S.S. Anne's provisions, and the Captain was seriously considering rationing their food stores. But then, two weeks after their battle with the Black Cat Pirates, Misty came racing back to the S.S. Anne, waving her arms madly from her perch atop Gyarados.

After Gyarados deposited her on the deck, Misty told Captain Wallace what she had seen. "There's an island that way," she said, pointing a few degrees starboard of S.S. Anne's current course. "It has a dock, so it stands to reason people live there. We can finally figure out where we are!"

"Excellent," the Captain grinned. "Finally, some answers. Marco, change course!"

"Aye aye, Captain!"

Ash, Misty, Brock, and Gary stayed on the bow until land came into sight – a thoughtful Misty had provided the rivals with two looking glasses this time, to avoid the inevitable fight for possession. Ash cheered when he first saw the outline in the distance, disrupting the straight, horizontal line of the ocean.

"It doesn't seem all that big," Gary observed. "Not a large land mass, even, just a puny little island."

"Beggars can't be choosers," answered Brock, leaning casually on the railing. "We need to stock up on food and medicine, whatever else we do while on shore."

It soon became clear, as the island grew closer, that the S.S. Anne's approach was not going unnoticed. Ash and Gary could see the port by now, where a dozen smaller ships were anchored along several docks. None were a fraction of the size of the S.S. Anne, which possibly accounted for the frenzy of activity on the dock.

Men in uniform were milling around, some looking at the approaching cruise ship through spyglasses, and others running away in the direction of a small town.

"Better go get the Captain," Brock suggested. "We wouldn't want the locals to think we're pirates. Maybe keep the more war-like Pokémon out of sight for now, until we know whether they exist in this world."

Pikachu did its best to look harmless and cute – and its best was very good indeed. Ash wasn't worried about his Pikachu frightening the island-dwellers, and it would be good to have at least one Pokémon out of its Pokéball in case of emergencies.

A few minutes later Captain Wallace appeared, with First Mate Marco, Jesse, James, and Meowth trailing close behind. Captain Wallace had attached a ripped section of white tablecloth to a long pole, which he handed to Brock.

"A white flag – hopefully it means the same thing in this world, that we come in peace."

Ash laughed at the makeshift flag. "Go on, Brock. Give it a good wave."

"They'll be alert for any tricks," said Captain Wallace, "but it ought to be obvious that we have no cannons on our ship. I'll keep the S.S. Anne anchored a ways out from the dock, until we get permission to land from those uniformed fellows on shore. Would you Trainers mind being my delegation?"

"Sure," said Misty, "but don't you want to be the one to speak with them?"

"I think it's prudent that I stay with the ship," said the Captain, "along with all the other sailors. You folks are young and not very imposing – no offense, of course – so it's possible that you'll put them at ease."

Brock looked at the Captain shrewdly. "You sure that's all?" he asked.

"Well," the Captain said, a little sheepishly, "in case you get killed or arrested, I need to be here so the S.S. Anne can escape."

"HEY!" Ash and Misty cried out in unison.

"No, that's fine," said Brock, head tilting in consideration. "You're responsible to the three hundred people on this boat, not just us. Besides, the seven of us are more likely to come out alive if the locals get itchy trigger fingers."

Ash stared at him blankly. "The seven of us?"

Brock shook his head. "Counting Jesse, James, and Meowth."

"Meowth, that's right! Don't you dare forget about us, brat!"

Ash let out his breath in a huge sigh. "…right. We're allies now…"

"You don't have to look so depressed about it!" James fumed.

"Enough messing around!" Misty snapped. "We're getting close. Captain Wallace, do you mind letting us borrow a lifeboat? I doubt they'll take kindly to us coming ashore on Gyarados."

"Good thought, Miss," said the Captain with approval. "I'll leave everything up to you lot. Tell whoever receives you as much as you think prudent. I'll be waiting right here until you return."

Ash gave the Captain a smart salute. "Don't worry, Captain Wallace sir, we won't let you down!"

"Godspeed, Mr. Ketchum."

Six Trainers, one Meowth, and one Pikachu squeezed into a lifeboat that was duly lowered into the ocean. The dock was easily visible now, only fifty yards away. James and Ash each took an oar and began to row.

As they approached the dock, they saw a line of military types in smart white uniforms, with baseball caps that read "Marine" above the brim. Every one held a rifle aimed directly at the Trainers in the lifeboat.

Ash felt Pikachu tense up, ready for a fight.

"Easy, Pikachu," he whispered.

"We mean you no harm!" Brock called out, standing up with some difficulty in the middle of the lifeboat. "We only seek supplies and information."

One of the Marines, a dark-skinned man with a neatly trimmed mustache and beard, stepped forward. "You're not pirates?" he demanded.

"No!" said Brock. "In fact, we fought off a pirate crew two weeks ago."

"You're not flying a flag from any nation _I_ recognize," the Marine officer mused. "Where are you from?"

"…Kanto," Brock said honestly, after a pause. "We were carried far off course by a storm, and now we're completely lost. Anything you could do to help us get back home would be a blessing."

Some of the Marines began whispering behind their rifles.

"_Kanto?_"

"_...never heard of it…_"

"…_one big-ass ship…_"

"_...look like pirates to me…_"

"Quiet!" the officer ordered, quelling his subordinates with a stern glance. "I'll allow you safe passage into Shells Town for now, but you folks will have to come with me to meet the Captain. He'll want to hear your story for himself."

Ash and the others pulled the lifeboat up to the dock, hopped out onto a wooden walkway, and secured their craft with some rope. The officer led them away from the docks, leaving the other Marines with orders to watch the S.S. Anne and make sure it didn't come any closer.

Their guide, though imposing, seemed like a decent enough fellow. He introduced himself as Lieutenant Ripper, and told them a bit about Shells Town.

"Captain Morgan is in charge of the Marine base here," he said at one point, a shadow crossing his face.

Ash guessed that Ripper wasn't particularly fond of the Captain, but it didn't seem like the kind of thing you asked an officer about his superior.

"That's an odd-looking cat you've got there," said Ripper a few minutes later, as they were making their way through a quaint little town towards the compound that housed the Marine barracks.

Jesse and James were practically sweating from nervousness. "Hahaha! Yes, it is, isn't it?" Jesse stammered inanely. "Just a stray we picked up. Stupid thing, not like it can talk or anything!"

Gary kicked her swiftly in the ankle to shut her up, while Meowth tried to look innocent and failed miserably. Soon they arrived at the tall fence that surrounded the military compound. Two guards stood at attention next to the front entrance, and saluted as Ripper approached.

"Some newcomers to see Captain Morgan," Ripper announced, gesturing at the Trainers. "Where can I find him?"

"A call came in from Headquarters," said the guard on the left. "He'll probably be in his office. Said he needed to use the Den-Den Mushi earlier – probably about that monster that washed ashore two days ago."

"Very good. Carry on, men." Ripper carefully did not comment on the monster in front of Ash and his friends, which disappointed the young Trainer immensely. Monster… could that be a Pokémon?

The group followed Ripper across a trimmed lawn. It was empty with the exception of a wooden post driven into the ground. Tied to the post was a man with a dark green bandanna wrapped around his head. Misty made a sound of dismay as she saw the poor man, his head bowed.

"Who is that man?" Brock asked, clearly concerned. "Why is he tied to that post?"

Ripper's face tightened, and a mixed set of emotions flashed through his eyes. "He's a bounty hunter," he said, offering no other explanation. His curt tone firmly rejected any further questions.

"Must have done something terrible," Ash whispered to Misty as they walked past the man. "Still, I feel sorry for the guy."

Lieutenant Ripper had one last thing to say to them before they reached the Marine building at the end of the courtyard. "Be respectful to Captain Morgan," he said, the warning clear in his voice. "He… isn't the type of man to tolerate disrespect."

"We can be respectful," said Ash. "Well… maybe not Gary."

Gary made a rude noise, while Meowth snickered. Ripper gave Meowth a wide-eyed look, but – perhaps wisely – didn't comment. A trio of Marines guarding the door stepped aside to let them enter, and Ripper led them through the halls. They were clean and utilitarian, as Ash would have expected of a military base.

They walked up a flight of stairs, and arrived at a door with a plaque that read, "Captain Morgan's Office." Ripper knocked twice.

"Who the bloody hell is it?"

Ash jumped. That voice did _not_ sound friendly.

"Lieutenant Ripper, sir. I have a delegation from the ship that's waiting in the harbor. I assume you were notified? I sent a man to report the moment a ship was spotted."

"Yes, yes," came the loud voice impatiently. "Send the bastards in."

Ash was beginning to get a bad feeling about that voice. The impression was only strengthened when Ripper opened the door, and the Trainers got their first look at Captain Morgan.

He was, to put it simply, a large man. The metal plate inserted into his lower jaw, not to mention the enormous axe replacing his right hand, gave him the appearance of some terrifying hybrid of man and machine. He leaned back in a swivel chair behind a desk made to fit his huge proportions, one leg propped up insolently on top of some papers.

"Come in," he commanded, gesturing with his axe. "Ripper, you stay. Well, let me look at you sorry strays… I'm the boss around here. Men call me 'Axe-Hand' Morgan, though not when they think I can hear."

"Gee, I wonder why," Gary whispered. Misty stepped on his toe firmly.

"Greetings, Captain," said Brock, continuing in his unofficial role of spokesperson. As the oldest and a former Gym Leader, he had the most experience dealing with important people. Morgan fixed them with a disapproving stare.

"Are you pirates? You look like pirates."

"No!" said Brock, considerably taken aback. "We are sailors on the S.S. Anne, a cruise ship out of Kanto."

"We'll get to where the hell _that_ is in a moment," Morgan declared. He was staring at Ash – no, actually, he was staring at Ash's shoulder. Too late, Ash realized that Pikachu's ears would be visible, poking out of his jacket. For no reason he could put a name to, he now regretted letting Pikachu stay out of its Pokéball. "What's that strange creature?"

Pikachu climbed up on top of Ash's head. "It's my Pikachu," Ash said. "My friend and most trustworthy Pokémon."

For a second, a strange gleam entered Morgan's eyes. "Does it… have powers?"

"Powers?" Ash repeated, flustered. "Uh… it can generate lightning, if that's what you mean… do you not have Pokémon in this wo- I mean, on this island?"

"Lightning?" Morgan stood up, towering over all of the trainers, even Brock, by a considerable margin. "Show me!"

_A 'please' would be nice, _Ash thought. But he didn't want to anger Axe-Hand Morgan if he could help it, so he held out his arms for Pikachu to jump to. "Just a few sparks," Ash cautioned his Pokémon. Pikachu complied, and Morgan's breath caught audibly when lightning played around Pikachu's red cheeks.

"Another monster with a Devil Fruit power…" Morgan whispered, barely loud enough for them to hear.

"Um, what was that?" Ash asked.

"Nothing." Morgan waved a peremptory hand. "Follow me."

Trading confused looks, the six Trainers followed the Marine Captain as he left his office and went in search of the stairs. He climbed down to the main level, where he gestured to a group of Marines to fall in behind them.

"What is going on here?" Jesse whispered to James, at the back of the group.

"I have no idea… but I know we're outnumbered," her partner replied.

In any case, they had no choice but to go with Morgan, although all of the Trainers kept their hands near the Pokéballs on their belts. They walked down another set of stairs, entering a basement hewn from cold stone that reminded Ash of a prison.

That was exactly what it seemed to be, which Ash realized when the first cells appeared farther down the stone corridor. None of them were full, until they came to the end of the corridor.

In a cell set against the wall, secured with iron bars and an enormous padlock, was a Lapras. Misty gave a spontaneous cry of distress when she saw the majestic Water Pokémon, and was echoed a second later by Brock. The Lapras was chained to the wall, and a metal muzzle had been fastened over its mouth.

"What is the meaning of this?!" Misty cried out. "That poor Lapras-"

"You know this beast?" Morgan cut in, sharp-eyed and eager.

"Not _personally_," Misty snapped. "But it's a Water Pokémon called Lapras, and it needs water. It'll sicken and die if you keep it like this!"

Morgan shrugged. "This monster froze one of my men solid. It washed up on shore a few days ago, and shot a beam of ice out of its mouth when we approached it. I was keeping it down here until the Vice-Admiral arrives – anything to do with Devil Fruits goes straight up the chain of command."

"What nonsense are you talking about?" Brock demanded. The sensitive doctor-in-training was in pain himself, seeing the Pokémon suffering. "This isn't a devil _or_ a fruit, it's a _Pokémon!_ And you're killing it!"

Axe-Hand Morgan went on as if he hadn't even spoken. "It's a real stroke of luck you came here… now I can present the Vice-Admiral with an ice-monster _and_ a lightning-monster. If you cooperate, I'm sure he'll let you live… and _I'm_ sure to get a promotion, heh heh!"

"Ash?" Misty said, voice shaking with brittle rage. "What do we do?"

Morgan answered her. "Nothing, miss. If you so much as twitch, I'll carve one of you in half. You lot will stay nice and quiet in one of these cells until Vice-Admiral Momonga takes you off my hands."

Ash looked over his shoulder, swiftly assessing the situation. Morgan was in front of them, and their escort of a dozen Marines stood behind them. The Marines all had their hands on their swords – perhaps they weren't using their rifles for fear that Captain Morgan might get hit in the event of a crossfire.

"Meowth?" Ash whispered, knowing the cat Pokémon could hear him. "Remember that strategy you suggested for dealing with guys with weapons in an enclosed space?"

Meowth, who of course did remember, nodded slightly. Then it opened its mouth and let out a piercing Screech attack. The soldiers cried out as sound waves reverberated off the stone walls and assaulted their ears. Many clapped their hands to their ears, dropping swords and rifles. Ash and Pikachu were a little more prepared, and the mouse Pokémon wasted no time in zapping Axe-Hand Morgan with a Thundershock.

"Misty!" Ash yelled. "Give me something to work with!"

Staryu appeared from its Pokéball and soaked the Marines blocking the stairs with a Water Gun. Pikachu used Thundershock a second time, and the electric current shocked every one of the Marines, conducted by the water pooling around their feet.

"Go!"

The Trainers made a break for freedom, but not before Misty threw an empty Pokéball between the bars of the Lapras' prison cell. Misty's aim was perfect – Lapras disappeared in the flash of light as the device opened, its chains clanking, empty and useless, to the ground. Then Misty's Starmie turned sideways to fly through the bars and flick the Pokéball back into Misty's hands.

"I've got Lapras!" Misty crowed. "Let's get out of here!"

The crowd of humans and Pokémon ran over the unconscious Marines, and ran even faster when Axe-Hand Morgan's bloodthirsty roar reached their ears.

"How is that guy still awake?" Ash asked, amazed. "He took enough electricity to drop three other Marines!"

"To the courtyard!" Gary panted, judging that Ash's question didn't really need an answer.

They almost made it to safety, too. But no sooner had they left the main building and reached the open area of the courtyard, alarms began shrieking all around them. The guards at the gate turned, saw them running, and raised their rifles.

From the entrance to the building came more Marines, until the Trainers were completely surrounded. Last of all, Axe-Hand Morgan arrived, looking for all the world as if he hadn't just been hit by one of Pikachu's Thundershocks.

Ash shivered. No normal human could have shrugged off that much electricity – Axe-Hand Morgan was even stronger than some Pokémon, which Ash hadn't thought was possible for a human.

"Give it up!" Morgan bellowed, waving his axe in the air. "You're surrounded!"

"My turn," said Brock, dropping one of his Pokeballs. "Onix, you're up!" The flash of light startled the Marines, who opened fire. Thankfully, the giant rock snake materialized in time, its enormous body coiled around the Trainers in a protective wall. "Use Harden!" Brock commanded.

Shots rang out continuously, only to hit Onix's reinforced hide and bounce away, in every direction except towards the Trainers. Huddling inside the protective circle Onix had created, the Trainers wasted no time in calling out their Pokémon.

"Fire to clear the gate," Gary said, pointing to his Growlithe.

Misty nodded agreement. "And water for the Marines closest to the building."

Ash shared a tight grin with Pikachu. "And lightning for Axe-Hand Morgan. Let's see if he gets up after a full-strength Thunderbolt, Pikachu!"

They waited for the right moment – a slight lull in the shooting, when the Marines were reloading for another futile round of target practice on Onix. Then Growlithe and Charmander leaped up onto Onix's midsection, and combined Ember attacks that forced the guards at the gate to dive aside.

Misty's Pokémon, along with Ash's Squirtle, performed another high-powered Water Gun volley, knocking men and weapons flying. And Pikachu charged as much electricity as it could, sending a bolt of lightning as thick as Ash's torso at Axe-Hand Morgan. With that much metal grafted to his body, the Marine Captain didn't have a prayer of dodging.

Hidden as he was by Onix, Ash couldn't see Morgan drop like a rock to the ground, but Pikachu's triumphant squeal left him in do doubt that the attack had been successful.

With their commander taken out by a single attack, the rest of the Marines seemed much less inclined to fight. Onix uncurled, letting the Trainers face the defeated Marines directly.

"The first one to go for a rifle gets burned alive!" Gary called out, his Growlithe sending a burst of flame into the air for good measure. "On your knees and put your hands in the air!"

Ash was almost surprised when the Marines complied. In the ensuing silence, the Trainers looked at each other, utterly baffled. "Well…" Ash breathed. "_That_ didn't go as expected. What do we do now?"

"The axe guy is still alive," James called out. "From what he said earlier about some Vice-Admiral showing up, it's likely he'll name us criminals. We'll be fugitives before we even know what country we're in!"

"There's a way to avoid that," said Gary. Oak's grandson looked extremely grim, and there was a glint in his eyes that Ash had never seen before. "Silence him."

Misty caught his meaning before Ash did. "You mean… kill him?"

"Do we have any other choice?" asked Gary. "Even if we run away in the S.S. Anne, he'll just send warships after us. We'll have to fight them at sea, and we don't have any cannons. Best to make an example of him now, maybe keep his underlings from messing with us until we have a bigger head start."

Ash, horrified, was beginning to see that Gary was actually serious. "No!" he shouted. "We are not going to order our Pokémon to murder a man in cold blood!"

"Pretty sentiment, Ash," Gary sneered, "but in case you didn't realize, we're not in Kanto any more! We're in a dangerous world filled with pirates, and the first government official we met tried to arrest us and treat our Pokémon like monsters. This is a fight for survival, and we won't survive by being weak."

"And what about all these witnesses?" Ash yelled. "Do you want us to kill them, too? Raze the entire island, maybe? That's _not_ what Pokémon are for!"

"_Forget_ what Pokémon are for!" Gary yelled back. "There are three hundred people on the S.S. Anne relying on us to keep them safe. We can't be soft-hearted."

Ash folded his arms. "I won't do it. And I won't let you do it, either."

Gary narrowed his eyes in a way that meant trouble. "I don't recall electing you the boss of me, Ketchum."

"Stop it, both of you!" Misty screamed. "This is crazy!"

"No, it isn't." Brock's voice was calm and quiet, but somehow it brought the argument to a screeching halt. The other trainers all looked at him – he wore his serious, Gym Leader face. "This is about authority. Captain Wallace isn't here, and we don't know who's in charge. We can't proceed any farther until we do. This is something Ash and Gary have to settle."

Gary understood first. "A duel to determine acting Captain, eh? I'm down for it if you are, Ashy boy."

"I don't care about playing Captain or anything like that," Ash protested. "I just won't sit back and let you murder someone, not even that axe guy."

Gary released his Nidorino from its Pokeball. "Then stop me. If you can beat me, I'll acknowledge your authority."

Ash looked helplessly at Brock, but the Gym Leader crossed his arms and stared back with a stony resolve. "This is how it has to be, Ash. We can't afford to splinter into different groups, which means we have to establish a chain of command. You and Gary have to fight, and we'll follow the winner. Misty, Jesse, James… keep an eye on the Marines. Make sure no one escapes or tries to recover a weapon during the battle."

Gary assumed a ready stance behind his Nidorino, which pawed the ground and snorted a challenge. "I didn't want to do this until we got to the Indigo Plateau, Ashy boy," Gary called out, flicking his hair away from his eyes. "But I guess the plan has changed."

"You're forcing me to this, Gary," said Ash. "I won't take it easy on you!"

"I never asked you to. Give it your best shot, because I'm going to!"

Ash felt like screaming in frustration, but it was clear there was choice but to fight. He motioned his Squirtle forward, since the Water-type would have the advantage over Gary's Nidorino.

"To keep this fight short, each Trainer will use three Pokémon, calling on one at a time," announced Brock, taking on the role of referee. "No other rules, but try not to kill each other's Pokémon. No matter how this battle turns out, we're going to need every bit of firepower in the future."

While Squirtle and Nidorino sized each other up, the other Trainers rounded up the Marines in a big circle and set their Pokémon to guard them. Jesse, James, and Meowth set to work confiscating their weapons, creating a second big pile a few feet away from the unarmed Marines.

"As long as we're here," one Marine whispered to his neighbors, "want to make a wager? 500 beli says the guy in purple with the horned monster wins."

"I'll take that bet," said another Marine. "If I lose the wager, he'll kill Axe-Hand, so either way something good happens."

Soon enough the Marines were engaged in a betting frenzy, and Meowth had to give James a sharp swipe with his claws to keep him from taking part as well.

Meanwhile in the center of the courtyard, the fight began. Squirtle's Water Gun was stronger than it had been two weeks ago, before all that training in the banquet hall of the S.S. Anne. While strong enough to knock over grown men, and even break bones with a direct hit, it was nevertheless too slow to catch Nidorino.

The horned Pokémon showed enviable agility as it darted this way and that in the courtyard, trying to close the distance with Squirtle while avoiding each successive Water Gun attack.

"Sand Attack!" Gary called out, prompting Nidorino to spin around and kick at the ground with its powerful hind legs, sending clumps of grass and dirt at Squirtle. Squirtle punched a hole through the debris with another Water Gun, but it had only been a diversion.

Nidorino put on another burst of speed while Squirtle was drawing breath for another attack. "Double Kick!" Gary yelled, triumph in his voice.

"Squirtle, watch out!" It was too late. Nidorino landed on its front paws, twisted and curled up its hind legs, and hit Squirtle with all of its concentrated strength. The tough little Pokémon tried to get up, but Ash knew that it didn't have much of a chance.

"Nidorino could have poisoned Squirtle," said Gary. "Using Double Kick was a mercy, compared to Horn Attack."

Ash grimaced. Gary was right, and for once there was no taunting in his rival's voice, just truth.

"Come back, Squirtle," Ash said recalling it to its Pokéball. "You did well."

Next Ash sent out his Bulbasaur, which he hadn't summoned before to fight the Marines. Bulbasaur growled fiercely when it saw its opponent.

"It's fast," Ash warned, "but it has to get in close. We can use that." Bulbasaur slapped one of its vines on the ground, as if in agreement.

"Let's finish this, Nidorino!" Gary said grimly. "Quick Attack!"

Perhaps Pikachu or Meowth would have been quick enough to avoid Nidorino, but Bulbasaur didn't have that natural agility. But speed wasn't everything, and Bulbasaur was by no means defenseless.

As Nidorino closed in, Bulbasaur raised its vines. Instead of sending them out after Nidorino, however, Bulbasaur smacked them against the ground and pushed off with its legs, flying into the air and turning upside down. Nidorino was moving too fast to avoid the cloud of Sleep Powder that billowed out from the bulb on Bulbasaur's back.

Bulbasaur completed its mid-air somersault and landed facing Nidorino. The sneaky trap and the aerial acrobatics earned a cheer from the Marines – at least, the ones who were betting on Ash to win. Ash was surprised, wondering how men who probably feared for their lives could treat this like an evening's entertainment. He had to respect their courage, even if he didn't think much of their commander.

Gary's Pokémon was barely managing to fight off the Sleep Powder, and it didn't have a prayer of dodging Bulbasaur's vines, which snared it around the midsection. Drawing on all its deceptive strength, Bulbasaur lifted Nidorino high into the air.

"Better call it, Gary," Ash said, paying his rival the respect of not gloating. "Nidorino's done."

Gary recalled his Pokémon without speaking, before Bulbasaur could bring Nidorino crashing down. He followed up with Fearow. Ash stifled a curse. In spite of Bulbasaur's intellect, there was little chance it could beat Gary's well-trained flyer. Still, he had to try.

"You'll have to catch Fearow in your vines, Bulbasaur!" Ash cried out. No use trying to catch Fearow with any of Bulbasaur's Powder attacks, because a simple Gust would just blow them right back.

But Gary's Pokémon was too smart to fly into range of Bulbasaur's vines. It dove again and again, but stopped each dive short and send razor-sharp air currents at Bulbasaur. The Grass-type Pokémon was soon reduced to dodging the attacks, and despite its efforts it was soon covered in a handful of small-to-medium gashes.

It summoned its strength for one last counter-attack, jumping as high as it could toward Fearow, which was just beginning a dive. Fearow's Whirlwind overwhelmed the smaller Pokémon and send it crashing back to the ground, where it whimpered once and lay still.

Ash recalled Bulbasaur, thinking hard about his next choice. Pikachu would obviously have the advantage over Fearow, but was it wise to use his strongest Pokémon and risk an injury that might come back to haunt them in a later battle? No - best to see what his other Pokémon were capable of, and keep Pikachu in reserve. Ash decided to gamble.

"Charmander, you're up!" Pikachu, deeply offended that it wasn't chosen, hit Ash in the head with its tail. Charmander, on the other hand, couldn't have looked happier. It sized up Fearow with a challenging eye.

At first, the fight proceeded much like it had between Fearow and Bulbasaur, except Charmander tried to catch the elusive bird with fire instead of vines. Fearow was too fast, however, and evaded each Flamethrower attack. Apparently the training with Geodude had greatly strengthened Charmander's flames, because it called on Flamethrower and Flamethrower with no sign of tiring. Unfortunately, it didn't matter how impressive its attacks were if it couldn't even _hit_ Fearow.

"Change tactics, Charmander!" Ash yelled. "Remember it can't use wind attacks against your fire if you're close!"

That was as specific as Ash could get without giving away his plan to Gary, but he hoped that Charmander would get the idea. Indeed it did, as the next time Fearow came around to dive, Charmander slapped its tail against the ground to generate more momentum as it leaped into the air.

Just like Bulbasaur, Charmander headed straight for Fearow. However, if the Bird Pokémon were to attempt a wind attack this close, Charmander's flames would only be strengthened, not extinguished.

"Use Drill Peck, Fearow!" Gary yelled. "Spit it like a marshmallow!"

_Come on, Charmander, _Ash cheered silently, willing his Pokémon to use its head. _You should know what to do!_

It was as if the little Pokémon read his mind. Just when it seemed inevitable that Fearow would impale Charmander, the fire Pokémon flipped in midair and wrapped its tail around the bird's beak. Charmander ended up around Fearow's neck, pinioning its wings and forcing its opponent into free fall. Fearow couldn't even squawk as it dive-bombed into the ground – Charmander's fall was cushioned by Fearow, which suffered an agonizing impact and skidded twenty yards.

Charmander sent a plume of flame into the air in victory, while Gary recalled Fearow. Marines cheered and groaned according to their preference, while Misty, Brock, and Team Rocket watched in anxious silence. The fight was almost over – Ash and Gary were down to their final Pokémon.

Gary watched Ash with an expression that almost looked like respect. "You were smart not to use your Pikachu, Ash. I guess you've learned how to think ahead."

"I guess we'll see," Ash said, for some reason feeling unaccountably sad.

"It's time, Growlithe. Let's prove you're the better Fire Pokémon!"

The canine took its place in the center of the courtyard, living up to its name by growling ferociously at Charmander. They locked eyes, and neither moved so much as a single step. Twin Flamethrower attacks lit up the battlefield, turning the air above the courtyard into a roaring conflagration. Everyone watching the battle took a step back, as the heat radiating from the raging fire was almost unbearable.

Charmander and Growlithe kept it up for a solid minute, refusing to break away or cease their streams of fire. When they couldn't hold their respective Flamethrowers any longer, they charged straight at each other. Charmander tried to catch Growlithe by whipping its tail around, but the agile canine leapt over the attack and barreled into Charmander at full speed. They became an indistinguishable mixture of pebbly skin, red fur, and flashing claws, as they duked it out without using any fire at all.

When they separated there injuries on both sides, but Charmander appeared to suffer the worst of it. It limped noticeably, and had deep puncture marks on its torso that bled freely, while Growlithe only appeared to have superficial scratches.

"Charmander!" Ash cried, seeing how badly his Pokémon was wounded.

"Finish it, Growlithe!" Gary ordered. "Bite!"

But as Growlithe charged in for the finishing blow, Charmander was enveloped in a white glow.

"No! End it before it can evolve!" yelled Gary. Growlithe bravely leapt into the heart of the white light.

When the light faded, Ash's Charmeleon stood tall and proud, its powerful tail wrapped around Growlithe like a boa constrictor. It roared in triumph, and cast the smaller canine aside like a piece of trash.

Gary heaved a giant sigh. "That's enough… I concede."

_Whew… if Charmander hadn't been pushed into evolving, this fight might have ended very differently._

But Ash didn't say that. Instead, he locked eyes with Gary. "Are we done here?"

"We're done," said his rival, raising a hand to flick his hair back, but letting it fall before he could. "I'll follow you… until the day when you're not worthy of it."

"That's good enough for me."

From the sidelines, Misty gave an exasperated snort. "Are we done with this ridiculous testosterone showdown? Can we get back to the serious business of, you know, _escaping?!_"

"…Right," said Ash, taking in the strange sight of over a hundred unarmed Marines cheering and booing like spectators at the Indigo Plateau, all the while ringed by Misty and Team Rocket's watchful Pokémon. "Uh, we're not going to kill your commander," he announced, amazed when the Marines fell silent immediately to listen. "Maybe you can tell him this was all a misunderstanding?" He grinned hopefully.

One of the Marines stepped forward, hands out in a helpless gesture – it was Lieutenant Ripper, who had first brought them to the base. "There's not much you can say to Captain Morgan when his blood is up. Leaving him alive won't change anything… he'll come after you, or place a bounty on your head and send more powerful Marines. He's a cruel man, and will never let go of a grudge."

"Let him choke on his grudge," said Ash, not all that surprised that Axe-Hand Morgan was hated by his own Marines, "since it seems we're fugitives no matter what we do. But the next time I see him, I won't be so kind. When he wakes up, you tell him that from me. Everybody… let's go."

The Trainers headed for the gate, which now stood unguarded. One of the Marines, braver than his fellows or perhaps just curious, called out after them. "Who _are_ you?"

Ash paused, remembering how Captain Morgan said they looked like pirates, and was overcome by an irresistible urge. "I'm Captain Ash Ketchum," he said, turning to give them his signature V sign. "And we're the Pokémon Pirates!"

Their path to the gate carried them past the guy strung up to the post, the one Lieutenant Ripper had said was a bounty hunter. On a whim, Ash went up to him. "Want to come with us? I don't know what you did, but I wouldn't leave a rabid Zangoose to Axe-Hand Morgan's mercy."

"Nah," said the man – the swordsman, judging from the empty scabbards at his belt. "I'm only here for fifteen more days. I made a promise, then I'm out of here."

Ash shrugged. "Suit yourself… maybe we'll see you around."

The bounty hunter laughed, looking entirely too confident for a man strung up in the middle of a Marine base. "Maybe you will… crazier things have happened. The name's Zoro… Roronoa Zoro. I look forward to the day we meet again, monster tamer."

The Trainers made good their escape, running out the gate and heading for the docks at full speed. The blaring warning sirens from the base had caused the townsfolk to hide in their houses, so the streets were deserted except for one last line of Marines – those supposed to guard the docks – who tried valiantly to block their path. One swipe from Onix's tail sent them flying into the wooden wall of an inn, leaving them considerably roughed up but alive.

"Should we get in the lifeboat?" James asked, as the deserted dock came into view.

"Don't bother!" Misty yelled, throwing a Pokéball far ahead of her into the ocean. Gyarados appeared, making James flinch.

"Don't tell me…" he stammered.

"All aboard!" Misty ordered. "We need to get to the Captain and tell him to get moving."

Gyarados' head was a bit cramped with all of them, but they managed. Captain Wallace was waiting for them at the bow, and he ordered Marco to leave Shells Town at full speed before they had time to say a word.

"I take it diplomacy didn't go well," he said wryly as Marco hurried belowdecks.

Ash shrugged sheepishly. "You could say that."

"We didn't have much time to think things out," Brock explained. "The officer in charge tried to arrest us, just because we had Pokémon."

"So we're wanted men…" the Captain mused, "or we will be. That certainly puts a new spin on things."

Misty and Brock left the top deck, wanting to examine Lapras in the Sick Bay. Ash was proud of Misty for her quick thinking back in the Marine base, but he couldn't believe that in just over two weeks in a new world, Misty had already caught _two_ Pokémon! And powerful ones too, or at least, Ash hoped that Lapras would prove to be powerful, once Brock got it patched up. He would have to go to the Sick Bay himself soon, because his Pokémon would need some care after the battle with Gary.

As the S.S. Anne turned about, Gary joined Ash on the bow. He rested his forearms on the railing and looked out over the sea. "No hard feelings, Ashy B- no, that's wrong. No hard feelings, Ash. You beat me fair and square, and to be honest… I'm glad you did."

He grinned at Ash with a little of his old spirit. "But I'm still going to beat you when we have a rematch!"

"You wish!" Then Ash fell silent, chewing on some new, unpleasant thoughts. "You… had a point back there, Gary. We're not in Kanto, and more and more people seem to want to kill us. We may have to respond with deadly force in the future, like Misty's Starmie did against the Black Cat Pirates. If it's necessary… I want you to know I won't shrink from it. I'll do anything to protect my friends."

And, Ash realized, that included Gary, obnoxious as he was. They were more than rivals now – thrown together by fate, they were now bound by the danger they'd shared. Ash knew he could count on Gary, whether they faced pirates, Marines, or anyone else living in this senseless, savage, watery world.

They clasped hands, not needing to say any more.

"We did learn one thing in Shells Town," Gary said later, when the island was fading away behind them. "There _are_ Pokémon in this world. But from the way Axe-Hand Morgan treated that Lapras, I don't think they've been here long…"

"Then we'll just have to find what's sending people and Pokémon from our world into this one," Ash declared. "Then we make it send us back!"

Nothing could be simpler… right?

_Yeah, right._

oOoOo

Vice Admiral Momonga had arrived in Shells Town, and he was _pissed. _He folded his arms underneath the naval coat that he wore like a cloak, and wondered if anyone would miss this man if he were to cut the incompetent fool in half with his katana.

"Are you trying to tell me-" he said, staring in frank astonishment at Captain Morgan, who was doing an impressive job of cowering for such a big man. "Are you _actually_ trying to tell me that after I was called out of the Grand Line to pick up the monster you found with powers on the level of a Devil Fruit user, you've managed to _lose_ said monster? Not only that, but you encountered a group of people who somehow possess technology capable of taming more of these monsters, and then convinced them we were their enemies by trying to arrest them? Captain, is that seriously what I'm hearing right now?"

The Marine Captain shifted twitchily, unable to meet the Vice-Admiral's penetrating gaze. "I, uh… well… I thought, under the circumstances-"

"I don't believe you're capable of thought, no matter what the _circumstances_," cut in Momonga. His mustache practically quivered with icy disdain. "If you'd thought, you would have realized that no hostile pirate crew would willingly place themselves in the hands of a force of Marines. You would have offered them hospitality and kept them on the base until I got here. But no, you had to try and _arrest_ them, and like as not they've turned pirate now because they think they have to. Captain, do you have _any_ idea of the enormity of your screw-up?"

Morgan's face was a thundercloud, but he didn't dare offer any sass to a Vice-Admiral. That mohawk might look silly, but Momonga had not become a Vice-Admiral because of his looks. The man was a Rokushiki expert, and probably proficient in the use of Haki, as well. He could take Morgan apart with one hand tied behind his back, and both eyes closed.

"No, sir."

Momonga leaned forward, eyes like laser beams. "Then let me enlighten you. The monster that washed up here is the first one sighted in the East Blue, but by no means the first one that has come to the attention of Marine HQ. We have received reports that monsters with mysterious powers are springing up out of nowhere on islands in the New World… and they're multiplying like rabbits. One monster more or less isn't a huge matter, but we're talking thousands, if the reports are to be believed. Our information is unreliable because the plague of monsters is mostly contained to the New World, which is controlled by the Yonko, but that only makes things worse. Can you imagine what would happen if Red-Haired Shanks, or Kaido of the Beasts, were able to raise up an army of these monsters? An army of creatures capable of breathing fire, shooting lightning, and who knows what else, added to the forces they already command? The balance between the Three Great Powers would be shattered beyond repair!"

Here, Captain Morgan thought he might try to win some leniency by sharing his last piece of information. "They, uh… they're called Pokémon. The monsters, I mean. Those pirates said so. And they called themselves the Pokémon Pirates, according to the men who witnessed the duel in the courtyard."

Momonga's look of scorn could have melted steel. "I wanted the _monster_, not the name of its species, you twit. But that's past, and it's up to me to fix the mess you've made. These so-called Pokémon Pirates are the key to everything. If they really command such obedience from these _Pokémon_, whether through advanced technology or some other means, then we must secure them as soon as possible."

"What should I do?" Morgan asked.

"You just write your report for HQ, and make sure to include every detail about the members of that crew and the duel they had in the courtyard. The higher-ups will probably want to place a bounty on this Captain Ash Ketchum, just in case I should fail to bring him in."

_That _was enough to make Captain Morgan start. In his world-view, there was nothing that could beat a Vice-Admiral, except, logically, an Admiral. "Do you think that's possible, sir?"

"I plan for the worst," said Momonga evenly. "It's why I don't screw up quite as often or as monumentally as you seem to. But I don't expect to fail. The Pokémon Pirates are sailing in some kind of civilian luxury vessel, not built for warfare or even speed. And when Dr. Vegapunk heard about the power of the monster I was sent here to pick up, he entrusted me with an ace in the hole, which is ready and waiting on my ship. We'll see, when the time comes, if the Pokémon Pirates can stand up to the might of a Pacifista…"


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: **This is the last chapter that includes the S.S. Anne for a very long time – our heroes will be going solo for a while. Next chapter will see some familiar faces from One Piece, including everyone's favorite Rubber Man. Just in case you were wondering, I won't be changing much of the Strawhats' journey. The presence of the Pokémon Pirates will change some things (more drastically later on), but it will not upstage Luffy's early journey. The Strawhats and the Pokémon Pirates will journey together for a while, but they will enter the Grand Line separately – that's about 5 chapters away, if everything goes according to plan. Let me know what you think so far!

**Disclaimer: **I don't own Pokémon or One Piece

**Chapter 3: Parting Ways**

The S.S. Anne was two days out of Shells Town, with no destination in mind except somewhere far away from anyone wearing a Marine uniform. Captain Wallace and First Mate Marco knew the entire story of what had transpired on shore, and they agreed that Ash and the others had made the best choice available to them under the circumstances. Unfortunately, the haste with which they'd been forced to leave meant that they hadn't been able to lay in more provisions, so they would need to find another island within two weeks or risk getting very hungry indeed.

In the S.S. Anne's Sick Bay, Brock checked up on Charmeleon's wounds. The newly evolved Pokémon needed bed rest to recover from the puncture wounds it had received from Growlithe, but it refused to listen to Brock. It was all he could do to keep confined to the Sick Bay, much less administer medicine, and Brock was seriously considering calling out his Geodude to lay down the law.

Instead, he activated the intercom that connected to the one in the Captain's cabin, and asked Captain Wallace to send Ash down to the Sick Bay. "We have a bit of a cranky Charmeleon," he explained.

When Ash arrived, Charmeleon was just about to make a break for the door. "Hold it, buddy," Ash said, waving one finger in front of Charmeleon's nose. "Where do you think you're going?"

Charmeleon snorted contemptuously, some smoke curling upwards from its nostrils. Ash folded his arms and surveyed the rebellious Pokémon. "Don't want to listen to me, huh? I've heard that can happen with evolved Pokémon sometimes…"

Ash considered the situation, not breaking eye contact with Charmeleon. It wasn't much different from the situation with Gary, he supposed, although he didn't fancy his chances against the Flame Pokémon in single combat. Then Ash remembered what Captain Wallace had said to Jesse and James before they docked in Shells Town, and it gave him an idea. He took two deliberate steps closer to Charmeleon, until he was right up in its reptilian face.

"You are going to sit on that bed and take your medicine," Ash told Charmeleon, calmly but firmly. "Otherwise you'll be committing mutiny, and I'll hang you from the yard-arm. I don't even know what a yard-arm is, but I'll hang you from it anyway. Understood?"

Silence for a moment, as Trainer and Pokémon matched wills. Something primitive, yet powerful passed between Ash and Charmeleon, and when it was over the fire lizard slouched back and lowered its gaze.

As Brock began to tend to Charmeleon, he gave Ash an approving glance.

"Not bad, Ash. I don't think you would have been able to command Charmeleon if it had evolved back in Kanto. You're showing a new side of yourself, and it's a good one."

Ash blushed. "Aw, go on."

"I mean it. But don't get too puffed up about it. There's something I else I wanted to tell you. About Misty."

"About Misty? What is it?"

Brock spoke without looking up from Charmeleon's injuries. "She's still broken up about her Starmie killing that pirate back when we first crossed over from Kanto. I think you should talk to her."

"She never said anything," Ash said, thinking back. "I thought she dealt with it on her own. Wasn't that why she kept scouting and fighting all those sea monsters?"

"I think she _thought_ she had it under control," Brock temporized. "Misty prides herself on being tough. She was the youngest Gym Leader Cerulean's ever had, and has struggled all her life against chauvinists who think a little girl can't be a strong Trainer. She would die before showing any weakness. But she's never killed anyone, even if it was her Pokémon that did the deed. I'm pretty sure she cried herself to sleep a few times before we arrived in Shells Town, but she was holding herself together. Then you made that speech about not killing Axe-Hand, and how killing wasn't what Pokémon were for. She hasn't said anything to me, but I think she's feeling guilty now, not just traumatized."

Ash felt abruptly horrible. "That- that wasn't what I meant at all!" he spluttered. "Damn it… where's Misty?"

He didn't wait for the answer before hurrying out of the Sick Bay. He had seen Misty more recently than Brock, and she'd been heading in the direction of the cabin that Captain Wallace had given her for her private use. Just before entering the hall, Ash turned back and locked eyes with Charmeleon.

"Listen to Brock and don't act out," he said, shaking a stern finger at the headstrong Pokémon, "or you'll be in trouble. Yard-arm kind of trouble, got it?" Charmeleon nodded grudgingly, and Ash left it to Brock's care.

Ash went straight to Misty's room and rapped on the door, three times. The door opened a crack, and Misty peered out.

"What's up?"

Ash couldn't even spell 'tact,' so he didn't see a point in trying to use any. "Brock told me you're still messed up about that pirate," he said, blunt as could be. "Let's talk."

The door closed in his face. Ash knocked again, louder this time. "Come on, Misty!" he said, almost shouting. "I'm not leaving until we talk! Don't make me break the door down!"

"You couldn't if you tried," came her scornful voice from behind the door.

"So I'd break my leg," Ash said, with a shrug that Misty couldn't see. "And then I'd cry like a baby right here, for hours and hours, and that would be _much_ more annoying than just talking to me. Come on!"

The door opened slightly, which Ash took as permission and barged in. Misty looked ready to chew nails. "I'm going to _kill_ Brock!" she snarled. "He _promised_ me he'd keep his trap shut."

"Hey, don't blame the Doc," said Ash, flopping down on the pink rug in the middle of Misty's cabin. "He's just worried about you. If you want, blame me. I'm the idiot who spouted a load of Taurus turds about Axe-Hand Morgan, never realizing how it would make you feel."

There was pain in Misty's eyes, but she tried to hide it and shrugged nonchalantly. "You were right," she said, in what she obviously meant to be a casual tone. "Pokémon _aren't_ meant to be killing machines. But I gave Starmie the order, and it obeyed."

Ash shook his head. "I was an idiot back there," he said frankly. "Pokémon aren't _meant_ to be anything, any more than humans are. We do what we have to. And Gary's right – we have to survive. When people try to kill us, we're going to have to fight back."

Misty was silent for a second, looking down at her feet. A few seconds later, she spoke in a small voice. "I can still see his head falling off, sometimes, in my dreams. I… think I always will."

"Maybe it's better that way?" Ash offered tentatively. "I know I'd rather feel bad about having to kill than feel nothing. But in this sea, it's going to be survival of the fittest. And I know who's fittest, Misty. There isn't anyone else I'd rather have by my side."

"Thanks, Ash," Misty said. Her eyes were suspiciously bright, until the Water Trainer wiped the back of her hand brusquely across her face.

"I can't say anything to change what happened," said Ash. "And you're the only one who can determine how _you_ feel about it. But I _can_ say that no one on this boat thinks you've done anything but save our asses."

The morbidly practical part of his mind pushed him to add, "And anyway, with pirates _and_ Marines to worry about, there are probably going to be a whole lot more dead bodies before we make it back home. Best not to let the first one trouble you too much."

Misty looked a little green around the edges. "That's… not exactly comforting, Ash."

"If I was comforting," he pointed out, "how would you know it was me?"

Misty punched him in the arm, and told him to get out of her cabin. He paused on the way out, looking back, and was pleased to see the same glint in Misty's eyes that she'd had during her gym battle against him in Cerulean. Even if the fight was a losing one, Misty would go down swinging. But as long as Ash was around, she damn well wouldn't do it alone.

"All right, Misty?" he asked casually.

She gave him a sketchy salute, and a strained but sincere smile. "I will be. Thanks, Ash."

oOoOo

The following days saw a few new faces added to their Pokémon roster – well, not added so much as changed. After getting out of the Sick Bay, Jesse's Ekans trained ferociously for an afternoon with Meowth and Koffing, after which it promptly evolved into an Arbok. Koffing, apparently refusing to be left behind, evolved a day later and caused a small-scale panic among the Pokémon trainers by accidentally venting a cloud of poison gas that began flooding the banquet hall they used for practice battles.

Misty, once again taking up her role as scout, fought wind, wave, and sea monsters every morning. No doubt thanks to the daily battles against mid-size sea monsters, Staryu evolved into Starmie the same day that Koffing evolved. Most afternoons, Misty visited the Sick Bay and crooned over Lapras. The Pokémon they'd rescued from Shells Town was malnourished and had been severely dehydrated, but rest, medicine, and lots of affection were doing wonders.

Misty began keeping one Starmie out of its Pokéball at a time, just like Ash did with Pikachu. They followed at her heels like purple, spiky bodyguards. "I think we should get used to being alert all the time," Misty explained. "A Starmie will be useful whenever we face more enemies with rifles, and I don't want to waste time bringing them out of their Pokéballs."

"How do you tell them apart?" Ash asked, curious. "And do you call them both Starmie? What happens when you're directing both of them at once?"

"I can tell them apart," was Misty's cool reply. "And I call them Stone and Stew."

"Why in the name of all that's holy do you call them that?" Ash exclaimed. "Those are like troll names!"

Misty blushed a bit. "Well, I started out by calling them Starmie One and Starmie Two. But it took too long to say when we were fighting sea monsters, so I… kind of condensed the names."

"Into Stone and Stew? Makes sense, I guess…" Ash remained unconvinced.

Brock disagreed with Ash, saying that the names were perfectly appropriate. Pretty the Starmies might be, but decorative they certainly were not. Almost as much as Gyarados, Misty's Starmie duo were bruisers. Stone and Stew captured their personalities, according to the Pokémon doctor-in-training.

With two Starmies, a Seaking, a Gyarados, and a Lapras, Misty's team was now fully evolved. Ash felt a little jealous, but then, they'd certainly earned it. Some of those sea monsters that Misty brought back to the S.S. Anne for fresh meat were _huge!_

Ash's own Pokémon would evolve when they were ready, and he trained them every day to make that day come sooner. He felt marginally better that none of Gary's Pokémon evolved either, although a tiny voice that he tried to ignore said he shouldn't be glad about things like that.

The S.S. Anne's food stores were just beginning to run low when Misty found the next island during one of her scouting missions. It had been a little more than two weeks since they left Shells Town, and the Sick Bay was finally empty. Lapras was healthy and happy as a part of Misty's team, and Ash's Butterfree had finally recovered from its bullet wound. Good, filling food and a round of Potions had allowed the resilient little Pokémon to recover its full mobility, though a small scar remained on its brilliant wing as a souvenir of the fight against the Black Cat Pirates.

The rest of Ash's and Gary's Pokémon had also recovered from their duel, and the Trainers on the S.S. Anne were as prepared as they could be for whatever new dangers this island might bring them.

"It's _much_ bigger than the last island," Misty reported later, with Captain Wallace and the others in a loose circle around her on the Bridge. "There's a huge mountain in the distance, and I can't tell how far back the land runs, so this place is definitely big enough to have a decent marketplace – we can find food and maps! Best news of all, there weren't any Marine ships in the harbor. Not many ships at all, really, though there's a small coastal town just off the docks."

"Maybe they'll be glad to have visitors," said First Mate Marco hopefully. "It'll help when we resupply if the locals are friendly."

"I'm not taking any chances this time," said Captain Wallace. "I'll go ashore myself, and talk to whoever's in charge. If there's no Marine presence in this town, then they'll have no reason to turn us away… at least, I can't think of one. That doesn't mean one won't exist."

"Some of us should come with you, Captain," Brock suggested. "You won't be safe on your own."

The Captain nodded, and quelled the Trainers with a glance when they all began clamoring to volunteer. "We should split our forces – we don't want to leave the S.S. Anne undefended. Marco should stay behind because he's best suited to lead the sailors in my absence. Misty and Brock, would you mind staying with him? I think your Pokémon have the best defensive capabilities, if it turns out that we need to defend the S.S. Anne."

Brock nodded slowly. "That's a good idea, as much as I hate to leave the rest of you in dangerous territory. Misty's Water Pokémon will be more effective near a water source like the ocean, and my Onix is best suited to defend a stationary target like the ship. I'm willing if you are." He looked to Misty.

She looked to Ash. "Will you be fine on your own?"

"Sure," Ash replied airily. "The Captain, Gary, and I can handle anything this town has to throw at us."

"Damn it," shouted James, waving his rifle around a trifle wildly. "Don't forget about us!"

"But it's so easy," Gary drawled, flicking his hair. Meowth unsheathed its claws.

"Want to go a round, pretty boy?" it demanded.

"Enough," said Captain Wallace, though he sounded amused. "We have enough on our plates without riling up our allies. Team Rocket, I'm counting on you every bit as much as Ash and Gary. We're about to head into unknown territory, where every man, woman, and Meowth will be needed."

"Sir, yes sir!" They barked in unison, saluting so fervently that James actually knocked himself over.

"All right, then." Captain Wallace looked around at the other Trainers, one by one. "Let's prepare to land."

oOoOo

A Harbormaster greeted Captain Wallace and the Trainers who stepped with him onto the docks. He was rather old and wrinkled, and very kind. He helped them tie up their lifeboat, his gnarled hands knotting the rope with admirable efficiency. He also didn't hesitate a second before telling them to signal the S.S. Anne to dock.

"That's quite the boat," the old man said genially. "No cannons, I see, so you're probably not pirates… or else you're just sneakier than other pirates, ha ha."

But he seemed genuinely unconcerned, which was a pleasant surprise for the Pokémon Trainers after their hostile reception in Shells Town. "Welcome to Foosha Town," said the Harbormaster, gesturing somewhat vaguely at the town that stretched out behind him. "Best place to live in all of Dawn Island, and that's a fact."

"We're looking to lay in some supplies," said Captain Wallace politely, as the Harbormaster led them along the sturdy wooden docks to the grassy hill that overlooked the shore. "Any places in town that would have what we need?"

"Several!" said the Harbormaster, chuckling. "We're a quiet town, but we have our pride. Travelers don't go hungry in Foosha Town, dear me they don't. Check with Makino up at Party's Bar – she'll point you in the right direction, and throw in some mouth-watering ale to boot! Tell her Harbormaster Brindle sent you, and she'll give me a free pint later for sending her the custom."

"Thank you for your kindness, sir. We certainly will."

Ash and Gary flanked the Captain as they walked along a winding road that climbed a hill leading to the village. Jesse and James followed a step behind, rifles slung across their backs. Though they scanned in all directions, no danger made itself known to their wary eyes. The place seemed very quaint, with picturesque windmills lining both sides of the road.

Foosha Town proper was a bustling little place, though not so much that strangers went unnoticed. A few children playing in the streets watched the Captain with open curiosity. Jesse and James drew more than a few glances as well, probably because of their strange uniforms. Men and women going about their business, many drawing carts or hauling bags of produce and other edible goods, saw the newcomers and exchanged friendly smiles and tipped their hats.

"Well, now," Jesse sighed happily. "_This_ is what a town should be. None of those pesky Marines running around."

"There's Party's Bar," the Captain said, pointing to a snug wooden building with a sloping roof and the name of the establishment emblazoned above the archway in cheerful green letters. "What was the bartender's name again?"

"Makino," Gary replied, making for the door. "I wouldn't mind trying some of that ale…"

"Aren't you the badass," teased Ash. "Drinking ale like a bad ol' pirate."

Gary shrugged, grinning a little. "When in Rome, right?"

There were a few patrons inside the bar, but not nearly enough to fill all the tables in the dining area. Behind the bar stood a pretty woman with dark green hair partially covered with a yellow kerchief. She looked up as they came in and smiled warmly.

"Welcome! It's not every day we get strangers in Foosha Town, but we love it when we do. Can I get you folks anything?"

"Some information, hopefully," said Captain Wallace. "Harbormaster Brindle said you might be able to help us find the best places to purchase foodstuffs in bulk. We have to outfit a ship with a crew of about three hundred for a few weeks." He paused, and his eyes twinkled a little. "And Master Brindle tells me that your ale is very fine, as well."

"Well sit down at the bar," said Makino, "and have a drink while I think who to send you to. Three hundred is a lot of mouths to feed, but there are farmers hereabouts just waiting for someone to sell to. Here – first round's on me. With as much food as you're talking about buying, you'll need to save your money."

Ash took a curious sip of the ale that Makino poured him, and then took another. It was delicious! He and Gary quickly drained their tankards, though not as quickly as Jesse or James. Meanwhile the Captain kept up a steady stream of conversation with the helpful bartender, gathering the names of certain farmers who might have excess crops they'd be willing to sell. Makino seemed amazed that the Captain wanted so many fresh fruits and vegetables – apparently not many ships in this world had state-of-the-art refrigeration built into the kitchens and storerooms.

Captain Wallace lingered on his ale, savoring it, while Ash and Gary grew fidgety and left their stools to go walk around outside while the Captain gathered information. That was how they came to be standing directly in front of the door when it opened, revealing two men carrying rifles and wearing Marine uniforms.

For a second the Trainers and the Marines stared at each other, frozen. Then everything happened at once.

The Marine on the left started to raise his rifle. His partner yelled out into the street behind them: "They're here! Tell the Vice-"

Pikachu's Thundershock caught both of them and dropped them on the wooden floor, alive but definitely unconscious and twitching uncontrollably. Captain Wallace and Team Rocket were on their feet in an instant. Ash poked his head out the front door and saw a mass of men in white uniforms less than thirty yards away, and jerked his head back just as a half-dozen bullets smacked into the wooden doorframe close to where his head had been.

"Get away from the door!" shouted Captain Wallace. James, demonstrating commendable quick thinking, had summoned his Weezing, which began pumping Smokescreen out under the front door, where it would pool on the porch and obscure the front entrance.

"Cease fire!" a commanding voice rang out from outside. "We need them alive!"

"That's something, at least," said Gary, always practical.

Captain Wallace walked back to the bar, summoning his Scyther. Rather than worried about a fight, the bladed insect just seemed happy to be out of its hated Pokéball. It had only assented to stay in the device because the Captain wasn't willing to risk frightening the townsfolk with a bladed insect as tall as a person. Makino carefully averted her eyes – she looked wary, but not unduly frightened.

"Are you pirates, then?" she asked. The few patrons in the bar were all standing up, but the sight of Scyther and Weezing seemed to have deprived them of their ability to speak or move.

"No," said Captain Wallace firmly, "but the Marines want to capture us anyway. Please, miss, is there a back way out of here? It would be best for all of us if a fight didn't break out in this establishment."

Makino smiled at him, oddly calm, as if such dangerous situations were part of daily life in Foosha Town. But then, for all Ash knew, they could be. "I don't think I care if you're pirates or not," she said decidedly. "You're nice, and the Marines who landed a few days ago weren't nice at all. They've been waiting for some pirates, they said, which is why they hid their battleship in a hidden cove a few miles away. There's a door out the back… good luck to you."

"We have to get back to the S.S. Anne," said the Captain. "If they had people watching the docks, then that's where the Marines will be going."

Gary knelt next to the two unconscious Marines and quickly relieved them of their weapons. "Here you go, Ash," he called, handing Ash a rifle. Gary held a saber in his right hand, and patted the Pokéballs at his belt with his left.

The Trainers hurried after Makino, who ushered them into the kitchen where they would presumably find the back way out. Ash turned his head, to see that Team Rocket hadn't moved. Weezing was still by the door, pumping Smokescreen out into the light of day.

"Come on!" he hissed, motioning at them to follow. "We don't have much time before they circle around and cut us off!"

"Exactly," said Jesse. The normally self-absorbed Rocket member looked grave and determined. "Someone needs to keep those fools outside busy. You don't need Marines on your tail while you're running back to the S.S. Anne."

"You guys…" Ash felt a lump in his throat. "Thanks. Don't take any chances. Stay safe!"

Meowth snorted. "What are you, my mother? Next you'll be grooming me and telling me that only sissies cough up furballs. Get out of here, brat."

"Don't worry," said James, striking an extravagant pose. "We're masters of stealth, treachery, and running away when things get rough. We'll join you back on the docks before you can say 'Hey! Where'd my Pikachu go?!'"

"You'd better!" Ash said, backing away reluctantly. The last thing he saw before turning around to follow Captain Wallace and Gary was Team Rocket, rifles in hand, crouching low while preparing to charge out the front door and elude a vastly larger number of Marines.

_This changes things big-time, _Ash thought. _I'll have to revise my opinion of those guys… assuming we all survive this. Damn, how did the Marines know we were here?!_

Makino, true to her word, showed the three Trainers out a small door that led out of the kitchen into a back alley. It wasn't much of an alley, with only a handful of buildings on either side and a lot of space between them, but at least it wasn't in view of the main road. Weezing's Smokescreen was rapidly growing, and Ash winced when he heard gunshots begin to ring out. They ran, not even pausing to thank Makino for her help. Ash hoped that the nice bartender wouldn't get in trouble for providing them with a way out – maybe she could tell the authorities that she'd been threatened. Anyway, Ash had more immediate concerns, like three hundred Trainers and tourists relying on him to keep them safe. He gritted his teeth.

It was barely a quarter mile to the docks, and the Trainers ran as fast as they could. Ash's hands grew sweaty on the stock of the rifle, but he gripped it tight, knuckles growing white with his nervous strength. He was almost afraid to look when they came to the top of the hill that looked down on the docks.

He had been right to be afraid - a full-fledged battle raged in front of the docks, like a scene out of Ash's nightmares.

Perhaps a hundred Marines stood between him and the S.S. Anne, the ones closest to the ship firing volleys that filled the air with the deafening sounds of rifle fire. Brock's Onix stretched to its full length, interposing its vast bulk between the Marines and the wooden dock that led to the gangplanks attached to the S.S. Anne. Ash couldn't see Misty, Brock, or First Mate Marco, but it was a safe bet that they were taking cover behind Onix.

With so many Marines, some of them should have been running around to flank Onix and attack the Trainers from multiple directions. The Marines themselves were already under attack, however, and their assailants were doing an excellent job of keeping them pinned down.

Misty's Starmie duo, the beautiful bruisers Stone and Stew, were quite simply wreaking havoc on the Marines. They flew dizzying rings around the soldiers, herding them like sheep. Every now and again they would stop, and one would put up a Light Screen while the other shot a high-pressure Water Gun and knocked a dozen Marines on their asses. Then they disappeared again into purple blurs using Double-Edge, and any Marines pushing too close to Onix's defensive position received grievous gashes on arms and legs.

Many of the Marines were acting oddly, Ash realized after a while. Some were firing their rifles blindly from inside the huddled press of bodies, shooting up into the air and even at their own comrades. Ash had no idea why, until he saw the small, winged form swooping by overhead. It was Brock's Zubat, evidently making strafing runs while firing Confuse Rays into the mass of Marines. Brock's Geodude clung to Zubat's torso, weighing it down a bit but also offering almost perfect cover from gunfire. Only the sonar Pokémon's fluttering wings were exposed, and Ash doubted that any Marine had the skill to hit such a small, moving target, even without being hounded by razor-edged Starmie or jostled by the addled victims of Confuse Ray.

In short, four Pokémon – five if you counted Onix, though it was mostly acting as a bullet shield – were fighting a defensive battle against a hundred men armed with guns, and they were _winning_. Ash could have let out a cheer, if he hadn't been worried about drawing gunfire from any Marines not currently Confused or slipping in pools of water and blood.

Captain Wallace put a hand on Ash's shoulder, probably about to share his next orders. That was when the Marine battleship appeared, rounding an outcropping of land and coming into view at the far side of the harbor. This ship was unlike anything Ash had seen at Shells Town.

It was smaller than the S.S. Anne, sure, but it was still gigantic – big enough to hold several hundred Marines, at least. Not only that, but it was covered in some kind of metal plating, and bristled with cannons. This was a true war machine, a behemoth built to tame the high seas. It would shred the S.S. Anne in seconds, if it ever opened up those cannons.

Captain Wallace said a very bad word. Ash agreed with him. Before he had time to decide on the best course of action, a burst of light drew his eyes to the shoreline closest to Onix. Out of the water reared a giant, serpentine head, followed by close to eighty feet of angry Gyarados.

There – confirmation that Misty was hiding behind Onix, and alert to the danger posed by the battleship. But could Misty's Gyarados, dangerous as it was, go up against that battleship? Gyarados could have crushed a wooden ship in a hot second, but that metal-reinforced hull would be much harder to crack.

Gyarados made straight for the battleship, which reduced the distance to the docks with every passing second. Then light began to gather in a glowing nimbus around Gyarados' open maw, and Ash let out a yell without even realizing it. A column of light, fully two meters in diameter, shot towards the battleship and punched a hole through the hull. The Hyper Beam, for the attack couldn't have been anything else, must have ignited barrels of gunpowder stored in the belly of the ship, because a fiery explosion followed and essentially ripped the battleship in half.

Marines lucky enough to have been on either end of the ship screamed and dove into the cold ocean, desperate to get free of the burning wreckage of the rapidly sinking ship. A ship with more wood might have had more floating pieces, but all the metal grafted to the battleship's hull ensured that it sunk very quickly. The sight of the battleship going up in smoke knocked the fight right out of the Marines on the hillside, many of whom sent up keening wails of distress.

Captain Wallace exchanged glances with Gary and Ash. "Damn," said Ash's rival, giving his hair a half-hearted flick. "Remind me not to get on Misty's bad side."

"This is our chance!" Captain Wallace said, pushing the two of them into a dead run down the hillside. "We need to join up with the others behind Onix!"

Ash fell a little behind Gary – on purpose, of course, as he would normally have died rather than let anyone believe his rival was faster. He let out his Squirtle, and had it send out a Water Gun that arched over the shellshocked Marines and soaked as many of them as possible. The Starmie duo pitched in, creating a nice superconductive spray that allowed Pikachu to zap almost all of the remaining Marines with a single Thunderbolt.

Maybe the fight had gone out of them after Gyarados torched that battleship, but it never paid to take chances. Now those Marines were unconscious, and there was no chance that a stray bullet would hit Ash or the others as they ran to reunite with their friends behind Onix.

First Mate Marco heaved a sigh of relief as they came barreling around Onix's tail. He stood next to his Machoke, and Brock and Misty were right beside him. "Oh, Captain, you're all right. Thank goodness. Those Marines came out of nowhere, as if they knew we were here."

"They must have," the Captain confirmed, nodding grimly. "Somehow they got ahead of us, and hid that battleship in a nearby cove. They must have had someone watching the docks."

"Nice work on the battleship, by the way," Ash said to Misty, sneaking another glance at the remains of the ship that had by now almost completely disappeared beneath the waves. Gyarados had turned back and now faced the shore, a proud gleam in the Pokémon's eyes. "Hell of a Hyper Beam."

Misty's eyes were just a bit round as she looked at Gyarados. "Yeah… didn't know it could do that..."

That was when Stone and Stew rejoined them, and Brock's Zubat and Geodude. The four Pokémon that had held off the Marines' initial attack were all exhausted, and their Trainers put them back in their Pokéballs for some well-deserved rest.

Brock looked in the direction of Foosha Town, worry etched into the lines of his face. "What happened to Team Rocket?"

"They stayed behind to buy us some time," said Ash, shaking his head. "I hope they're safe. They have Weezing and Arbok, and that Meowth is a crafty little bastard."

"Look!" Gary pointed at the top of the hill, where they had come from only moments before. Three figures appeared, two humanoid and one feline, running as if the devil himself came behind. Jesse and James sprinted past the unconscious Marines without a pause, Meowth right on their heels.

"You're safe!" Ash called out, feeling a little choked up. Some part of him had been worried, when Team Rocket went out the front door, that he would never see them again. He was unbelievably glad that part of him was proven wrong.

"No time for dilly-dallying!" Jesse shrieked, her long hair flying about in disarray. "We've got bad news coming our way, _fast!_"

The two Rocket members came to a stop in front of Captain Wallace, gasping for breath with hands on their knees. Meowth looked ready to run a few more miles, operating on adrenaline and pure terror.

"Their commander – he can't be human," James panted. "We knocked out most of the grunts all at once. They charged into the Smokescreen, and Weezing switched over to Smog. Took out any that inhaled even a bit of it. But when we got clear, we saw their leader – he can practically _fly!_ Changed direction three times to evade the Smog attack, with nothing to push off but air."

"But he's not the worst," Jesse added. "There's a human-shaped monster with him – got to be more than twelve feet tall.I shot him five times in a row, and it didn't so much as scratch him. He can shoot energy beams from his mouth and hands. If Meowth hadn't thrown off his aim and distracted him with Agility to give us a head start, we'd be greasy smears on the paving stones."

"Um, guys?" Brock said, peering over Onix's midsection. "Are those the two you fought?"

Everyone stood on tip-toe to see the hillside, and sure enough, two men were walking toward them at a steady pace. They were both taller than Axe-Hand Morgan; indeed, bigger than any humans Ash had ever seen before. The one on the right wore a Marine officer's coat like a cloak, not putting his arms through the sleeves. He wore a sword at his belt, though it remained sheathed, and had a distinctive mohawk and mustache.

The man at his side – if it was a man – was monstrously tall, making the giant Marine officer seem tiny by comparison. He wore a cap with animal ears over his dark hair, and his broad chest stretched out a black jacket with a white symbol that looked like some kind of crosshair or targeting symbol.

"Should we run for the S.S. Anne?" Brock suggested. "They probably don't have another ship to chase us with. They'll be stranded on the island."

"I think it might be a bit too late to run," mused Captain Wallace, "especially considering that beam weapon the big one has. He might catch us from behind."

The imposing duo was halfway down the hill at this point, and getting closer. "Gyarados," Misty called out to her strongest Pokémon, which waited in the bay for instructions. "Can you manage another Hyper Beam? Best not to take chances with these two."

But as Gyarados gathered light and power to shape into another Hyper Beam, a similar hum of power came from the colossus in the black jacket. It also had its mouth open, and when Gyarados unleashed its Hyper Beam, it was met by a beam of similar size originating from the man-monster's mouth. The resulting collision obliterated everything in a rush of sheer white light and ear-shattering sound.

When Ash could see again, he realized with shock that a section of the hillside more than twenty meters across had been converted into a gaping crater. He noticed that the unconscious Marines had only barely missed the blast – it was mere luck that they hadn't been obliterated.

"How the hell does a _person_ know Hyper Beam?" Misty demanded, the outrage in her voice masking her fear – or at least, if _she_ didn't feel fear, then Ash had enough for both of them.

"I propose a ceasefire!" came a stern, masculine voice. It came from the smaller of the two Marines, the one in the officer's coat. "If you do not comply, the Pacifista's next attack will target your vessel. Even if your monster can intercept it, the residual damage will be considerable."

Cautiously, Captain Wallace moved far enough down the length of Onix's body that his head poked up far enough to be seen. "We didn't start this fight," he reminded the Marine officer. "Ever since we set foot in Shells Town, we have met with nothing but persecution from your organization. All we have done is defend ourselves."

"That is unfortunately true," said Mohawk Man – as Ash had decided to call him in his mind – his voice altogether too smooth and reasonable. Ash didn't trust him any farther than he could throw him. "Captain Morgan overstepped the bounds of the law in his zeal to serve the World Government. He has been reprimanded. I am not like him. I will make sure none of your people are harmed. You will be honored guests of the World Government."

Crouching behind Onix, Gary whispered to Ash, "Sure. The kind of honored guests who aren't allowed to leave and have to surrender their Pokémon to satisfy the government's curiosity."

"Screw that," Ash said fiercely. "I'll die before I let some lunatic treat Pikachu like a lab rat."

"I don't understand," said Captain Wallace, playing for time. "Why are we not allowed to go our own way? We wish only to go home. That is all we've ever wanted."

"You may possess knowledge critical to maintaining the position of the World Government during a period of considerable unrest," replied the officer promptly. "You understand, the Marines are the only force that keeps order in these waters. We stand between innocent villagers and the bloodthirsty pirates who have made their lives hell for more than two decades. It is our sworn duty to all that we can to ensure peace and stability. If you cooperate with us, we will both benefit. I will personally escort you back to your home-"

"Once you have squeezed everything you can out of us, I presume," Captain Wallace rode right over him.

The Marine officer's face darkened, and his voice turned more overtly dangerous. "Perhaps you do not understand your situation, sir. You have killed many of my men with your monster. While they might not be the strongest or cleverest of men, they were _mine_. I take that responsibility very seriously, and it is only my duty to bring you back alive to my superiors that has kept me from opening fire on your ship with every weapon in my arsenal… including the Pacifista by my side. If you value the lives of your people as I value mine, it is in your best interest to come with me before this contest escalates any further."

"You have made your point," said Captain Wallace shortly. "A moment while I confer with my advisors."

He turned to face them all, and his face was set with a sad certainty.

"What do we do, Captain?" asked Marco, hesitant but ready to act on his Captain's word.

"I surrender."

Outraged cries met this pronouncement of the Captain's, who held up a hand to silence them all. "This is not a discussion," he said sharply, investing the words with every ounce of his authority. "We're at the end of the line. Gyarados _might_ be able to manage another Hyper Beam, but it can't overpower that… Pacifista thing. The S.S. Anne is too slow, too vulnerable. It's not getting away."

Then Captain Wallace leveled a piercing gaze at Ash. "But you will."

"No way!" Ash cried. "If you're giving yourself up, we will too!"

"Think for a minute," the Captain said. "Three hundred people, most without any knowledge of how to survive on their own, can't hope to outrun the Marines forever. Especially in an unwieldy cruise ship without cannons. But the six of you – and your Pokémon – could. You have a better chance on your own. Go now, and figure out why Pokémon are appearing in this world. Avoid the Marines, and find out how to get home."

Ash wanted to slug Captain Wallace, or put his hands over his ears, or do anything to block out what was happening. "You can't ask this of us," he whispered, shaking his head.

The Captain's voice cracked like a whip. "I'm not asking. This is my final order: escape this place. Oh, and take my Scyther with you – it has as many years of experience as I do, and may be able to help you out of sticky situations."

Captain Wallace broke off for a moment to rest his forehead against Scyther's. "We've had a good run, you bloodthirsty insect. Now go with them. Protect them when I can't."

He turned back to the Trainers, and Scyther straightened, though Ash could see tears in the loyal Pokémon's eyes.

"It has been a genuine honor fighting alongside you all," said Captain Wallace. "Now go."

Without looking to see what the Trainers did, Captain Wallace walked around Onix and headed up the hill toward the Marine officer, hands above his head. Marco recalled his Machoke into its Pokéball, and looked one last time at Ash and his friends.

"Trust the Captain," Marco said, grinning at them with a mixture of sadness and determination. "The Marines will keep us alive, as long as they value our knowledge of Pokémon. In the meantime, you can accomplish what we can't. Find out how to get back home." He went off after his Captain, and the First Mate's loyalty and trust touched Ash's heart.

"This isn't forever!" he called after Marco, pitching his voice low. "We'll come back for you!"

Marco gave him a thumbs up without ever turning around. "Never figured you wouldn't. Now get out of here, fast and quiet."

Ash began to back away toward the shoreline, crouching low so that he would be hidden from view for as long as possible. Team Rocket were the first to follow, and then Misty, Brock, and Gary.

When Captain Wallace and Marco were mere feet away from Mohawk Man and the giant man-monster he had referred to as a Pacifista, the Captain made his move. "Now, Marco!" he yelled, and charged Mohawk Man with his saber drawn. Marco threw his Pokéball directly towards the Pacifista, summoning his Machoke.

"Bulk Up!" Marco called, and his Fighting-type Pokémon went into a meditative trance that allowed it to drastically increase its strength for a short period of time. "Run, Ash! Machoke, use Submission!"

The Trainers ran for the bay, while the brave Captain and his First Mate threw themselves against enemies they had no hope of defeating. Brock recalled his Onix, and Misty summoned Lapras right ahead of them, floating next to the dock. Six humans, one Meowth, one Pikachu, and the Captain's Scyther jumped onto Lapras' back, and it sped away from the docks.

Looking back, Ash saw Captain Wallace lying face-down in the dirt before the Marine officer, his saber lying several meters away. Marco's Machoke had managed to knock the Pacifista off its feet by slamming into one leg with a bulked up Submission attack, but the Pacifista was already picking itself back up.

Marco gave the retreating Trainers one last wave and, seeing that they were now out of range of the Pacifista's beam, he recalled his Machoke and put his hands high in the air in a gesture of surrender.

"Damn it," Gary snarled, his hand twitching unconsciously closer to the Pokéballs at his waist. "Damn it to hell."

"They won't… _kill_ them, will they?" Jesse asked, a single tear trailing down her cheek.

"Probably not," Brock reassured her, though his expression was more furious than reassuring. "Wallace and Marco have more experience with Pokémon than the rest of the sailors combined. The Marines will want them to cooperate, which they won't unless the sailors and guests on the S.S. Anne aren't killed. But the Marines definitely won't be happy with them for letting us go."

Lapras increased its speed even more, and the figures on the shore faded away until they were too small to be seen. Misty called out to her Gyarados, which sped along next to Lapras with its enormous fangs bared in a snarl. In fact, it was precisely the same expression Misty wore, though without the fangs.

"If anything even _looks_ at us twice," Misty called out, "blow it out of the water."

Gyarados unleashed a roar of agreement that filled Ash with the desire to rend, to tear, to kill.

_I hope you heard that, Mohawk Man, _Ash thought grimly. _That's what's coming for you, if you put so much as a scratch on any of my friends._

Gary gave Ash an expectant look. "So what do we do now?"

Ash stared at him, taken aback. "Why are you asking me?"

Gary shook his head. "Isn't it obvious? You're the Captain now, Ash. You're in charge."

Ash looked around at his friends – he saw only agreement. Brock and Misty, his best friends and traveling companions; Gary, his long-time rival and now his friend; Jesse and James, once his worst enemies, yet capable of acts of heroism and self-sacrifice that left him speechless - all were looking to him for strength. Ash didn't want to be a leader, and didn't think for a second that he could do as good a job as Captain Wallace, but that didn't matter anymore.

He was all they had.

"We're getting them back," Ash declared, pulling the brim of his baseball cap so it sat a little more snugly on his head. He had no need to specify which 'they' he was talking about. "Maybe we're not strong enough yet… but we will be. I don't care how many Marines there are, or what kind of powers they have. They're going to regret making enemies of us."

And although they were alone in the ocean, without so much as a ship to their name, none of the Trainers doubted his word for an instant. They saw Ash Ketchum, they heard his voice… and they believed.


End file.
